Unexpected Family
by Foxy527
Summary: Steve hasn't seen or heard from Madison since leaving Hawaii when his mother died. Now "the one who got away" is unexpectedly back in his life and she is about to turn it upside down.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a refreshingly quiet week for the Five-0 team. Steve had sent everyone home and decided to check his email one last time before going home. He was praying things would stay quiet. He, Danny, Chin, and Kono had spent a couple of crazy weeks fighting one disaster after another and everyone was burned out. The break had been something they all needed.

Steve turned on the computer and started perusing through his email. One message from "MFreeman" immediately caught his attention and caused him to sit up a little straighter at his desk:

_Steve,_

_I know it's been a long time (16 years to be exact) and I am probably the last person you expect to hear from again, but I need to see you. Please email me back or give me a call. It's important….Please don't say no._

_Madison_

She ended the email with her phone number. Steve read it through three more times. His head was spinning. Madison Freeman had been his girlfriend in high school. His first love. His first heartbreak. His first everything. They were the stereotypical couple with him being the football captain and her being on the cheerleading squad. They had dated their junior and senior years before Steve had been sent to the mainland after his mom died. John McGarrett had insisted that his children cut off all ties with everyone on the islands until things settled down. Steve hadn't been able to say goodbye to anyone. Not even his Maddie. The shock of his mother's death and then being separated from his father and Mary had sent Steve into an emotional tailspin. Being forced to leave without saying goodbye to Maddie had devastated him even more. He felt like he'd lost everything he had in a few short days.

After joining the Navy, Steve had tried to reach Maddie a few times after finding out she had moved to Los Angeles to go to college. She had never returned any calls from him and he had eventually let it go. He knew he had hurt her, but it hadn't been intentional. He had wanted so badly to explain why he had to leave the way he did, but she had never given him a chance. As a result, he had moved on as hard as it had been to do. Hearing from her out of the blue today stirred up emotions he had long since buried.

Picking up his cell phone, he quickly punched in her number. A few rings later, her voice mail came on asking him to leave a message. Just hearing her voice again made his heart beat faster.

"_Maddie, Hi. It's Steve. Um…..I…uh….Yeah, I would love to see you." he stuttered. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself, " Call me back and let me know when you'll be here. I can pick you up at the airport or whatever. Just let me know…Bye."_

_**************h50********h50_

Madison Freeman came out of the gym and reached into her bag for her phone. Seeing she had missed a call, she cursed to herself. Damn, she'd missed Steve. She listened to his voice mail and felt the old familiar tug in her chest. His voice had deepened over the years, but he still sounded as sexy as ever. Back in high school, she had loved their late night phone conversations just so she could listen to him talk. He had always ended the calls by saying, "Goodnight, Maddie-girl. I love you." Hearing his voice again made her feel like the schoolgirl she had been so long ago.

She got into her car, fired up the engine, and started home. Once she was on the road, she hit the speaker phone button in her car to call him back. He answered almost right away.

"McGarrett." he answered in his typical greeting.

Maddie took a deep breath, "Hi, Steve. It's Madison."

There was a brief pause. "Maddie. Hi." his voice softened. "It's been a long time."

"I know. It's been _too_ long." She paused before continuing, " Listen, I hate to impose on you all of a sudden after all these years, but I really need to see you. Could we get together tonight? " she sounded nervous which worried Steve.

"Tonight? You're in Hawaii?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I came in late last night. I understand if you can't meet tonight. I mean, I know you probably need to give your wife some notice or something….but it's important. I need your help." She sounded almost desperate.

" It's no problem. I….uh….I'm not married….and Mary is living in L.A now, so it's just me." Madison was relieved but also surprised to hear that he wasn't married. "When and where do you want to meet?" he asked.

"As soon as possible, and you name the place."

"Okay. How about my place in an hour and a half. I'm still in the same house, so I'm easy to find."

"That would be great. I'll see you then." Maddie paused for a moment, "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry it's been so long."

He didn't know what was going on, but it was good to hear her voice regardless. "Me, too." he smiled into the phone, "See you in an hour, Maddie girl." Hearing the familiar goodbye once again almost brought tears to her eyes.

After they hung up, she realized she was gripping the steering wheel in a grip so hard it had made her knuckles hurt.

. _It's now or never. In a couple of hours both of our lives are going to change forever._ Maddie thought to herself as she said a silent prayer that Steve would understand what she was about to do.

**********h50***********h50

Steve stared at the phone for a few moments after they hung up. He hadn't heard from Maddie in years and now she was back on the island. She wanted to see him. Said it was important. His stomach felt unsettled as it often did when he knew something was amiss. He finally shook his head as if to bring himself back to the present as he headed for his truck to go home.

Steve took a quick shower and thanked his lucky stars that the house was fairly clean. Danny thought his neatness was annoying, but in times like this Steve was happy the Navy had drilled it into him.

Before long, the doorbell rang. Steve ran his fingers through his hair one last time, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Maddie. Sweet Maddie was at his door. They both stood still a few moments just staring at each other. She looked as beautiful as ever. Actually, even moreso in Steve's opinion. She had the same long brown hair, hazel eyes, and sweet smile that he remembered even though her smile was hesitant right now. Her teenage body had grown into a beautiful woman with curves that made him want to touch her again.

Steve was the first to break the silence. He smiled at her, "Maddie….You look great."

She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in as she smiled back, "So do you."

A couple of awkward moments passed before Steve reached out to pull her into a hug. Dear God, how he had missed her.

He led her into the house and they exchanged some small talk for a few minutes sharing about their lives. She had gone to college. He had joined the Navy. She'd lost her mother a few years back and he told her briefly about losing his dad. She was a teacher. He was a cop.

After about 20 minutes of small talk, she seemed to tense up a little and get quiet as if she was afraid to go on.

Sitting beside her on the couch, Steve took her hand to try and calm her down. "Sooo…..Do you want to tell me what brings you here after all this time?" He looked at her encouragingly.

She looked tense. Nervous even. She stood up and started to pace as she kept her back to him. Not wanting to feel as if he was threatening her, Steve remained seated and willed her to open up to him.

"Maddie, what's going on?" he urged quietly.

She finally turned around and looked at him sadly. "There is one thing about my life I haven't told you yet."

She walked quickly over to her purse before pulling up a picture on her phone and handing it to him.

"This is my daughter, Stephanie." She took a deep breath, "Stephanie...McGarrett."

Steve looked up in disbelief. Stephanie_ McGARRETT?_


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is heavy on dialogue. I felt it was the easiest way to tell the backstory of what has happened and why Maddie is back. Hope you enjoy.**

******************h50***********h50**

"This is my daughter, Stephanie," Maddie took a deep breath, "Stephanie... McGarrett."

Steve looked up in disbelief. Stephanie_ McGARRETT?_

Steve stood up. The look on his face was a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Excuse me?" Steve said quietly trying to maintain control of his mixed emotions at the news.

Maddie swallowed and started wringing her hands together which Steve remembered as a sign of her being nervous. "She's our daughter, Steve."

Steve's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell, Maddie?! You show up after 16 _years_ and tell me something like this? Why didn't you tell me before now?"

He was angry. She knew he would be, but her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"I didn't know I was pregnant until after you left. You didn't say goodbye or anything and I had no way to reach you. What was I supposed to do?" Tears were flowing down her face at this point, and as much as Steve hated to see her cry, he needed the truth from her.

"Leaving wasn't my choice, Madison, and you know that. My dad explained all of this to your parents when he made me leave. Why didn't you tell _him _you were pregnant? Or what about the times I tried to contact you when you were in college? Did it ever occur to you to pick up the phone and say, 'Hey Steve…..Just thought I'd let you know we have a _daughter_? I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

Now Steve was pacing too. And he only called her "Madison" when they fought, so she knew he was mad.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I really am. I picked up the phone dozens of times, but I could never bring myself to call you. I didn't want to ruin your career in the Navy. As time passed, it got harder and harder to tell you. It was like I blinked and all this time had passed and she'd become a teenager."

"Yeah. A teenager who's never known her father because you made the choice not to let me take responsibility for her too." He looked down at the pretty girl on the phone again. She had Maddie's long brown hair but there was no denying she had his eyes, nose, and smile. She looked just like him.

Looking back up at Maddie he asked, "So why are you telling me about her now?"

Maddie took a deep breath. "Because I think she's in trouble and I need your help."

Steve ran a hand down his face. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long story. Let me grab a couple of beers and you can tell me what's going on."

When Steve returned, he uncapped the bottle before handing it to her. He held her gaze and demanded, "Tell me everything, Madison. I mean it. No more holding out on me. You owe me that much."

They sat back down on the couch as Maddie began.

"Stephanie is a great girl. You'd be really proud of her." She looked at Steve and smiled, "I named her after her Daddy as a way to try to keep her connected to you in some way. If I had a boy, I was naming him Steven. If I had a girl, I was naming her Stephanie." Steve felt his gut twist knowing she was named after him. "She's always been a good student and is on the cheerleading squad like I was. She's funny….and caring. She's also tall like you and, as you can see in the picture, she has your eyes and smile. She's grown into a beautiful girl. About six months ago, she was scouted by a modeling agency who offered her a contract. I was okay with it as long as it didn't interfere with her school. At first, she was just booked for local photo shoots and fashion shows; Mostly small things, but she was getting a lot of attention and we started getting calls from bigger agencies."

"Okay. Go on." Steve urged.

Maddie took a drink of her beer before continuing. "The pressure in modeling can be brutal and Stephanie started to change."

"How so?" Steve asked.

"She was losing weight that she didn't need to lose. She also became withdrawn and stopped talking to me like she always has before. She started arguing with me over everything and I felt like she was slipping away. I didn't know if she was taking drugs to help her lose weight or what, but something was definitely off. A couple of weeks ago, she told me about a modeling contract in Hawaii that her agent wanted her to take. I obviously didn't want her to travel this far by herself and I wasn't able to take off of work when she needed to come. I told her she couldn't go. We had a huge argument over it, but she eventually seemed to let it go."

Maddie took another drink and sighed, "Until 2 days ago when I came home to find a note she'd left for me saying that she was flying to Hawaii to do the photo shoot….and that she planned to look you up while she was here."

Steve stood up again. "Woah. Wait. I thought she didn't know about me?"

"She didn't. Well, not exactly. She knows I had her when I was a teenager and that her father was from Hawaii because this is where I lived at the time. I started looking through her computer and found searches she had done for McGarrett's who live in Hawaii. With you being with Five-0, it wasn't all that hard for her to figure things out. I mean you guys are in the newspaper all the time. I would've told her before but…"

"But, you decided to make the decision for both of us by keeping me out of her life." Steve interrupted.

"That's not fair." Maddie shot back.

"The hell it isn't, Madison!" Steve snapped. Then taking a deep breath, he said, "Look, what's important now is that we find her. We'll sort the rest of it out later."

It was nearing 9 o'clock when Steve called his team back in to HQ so they could begin the search. He didn't fill them in on any of the details figuring it would be best to break the news to them in person. He was taking Maddie along to help with that.

He reached for her hand, "Come on. Let's go find our daughter."

She took his hand and looked up at him uncertainly, "Forgive me?"

"I can't just let this go. You've been lying to me for 15 years."

Tears sprang to Maddie's eyes again and she quickly looked away, "I know, but...I was hoping..."

"Look at me, Madison." Steve gently demanded. When Maddie didn't immediately comply, he turned her chin towards him and said again, "Look at me."

When she met his gaze, she saw that he wasn't angry. Just hurt. "I can't let it go _yet_…..but we'll get there. Ok?" He leaned down to kiss her forehead before taking her hand again and leading her to his truck.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I realize that some of the "timelines" mentioned in this story aren't completely accurate with the show, but this is a work of fiction...so I've taken some liberties there. Hope you enjoy! :) **

Steve pulled into the parking lot at the Five-0 headquarters right behind Danny. He helped Maddie out of the truck and took her hand as he led her into the offices. Danny approached them with a curious look, so Steve quickly made introductions.

"Danny, this is Madison Freeman…a high school friend of mine. Madison, this is my partner Danny Williams."

_High school friend, my foot_, thought Danny to himself. He shook Madison's hand and started small talk as the three walked in together. Chin and Kono were already there waiting on them to arrive. As they walked in, Chin thought he recognized a familiar face from the past.

"Madison Freeman?" he smiled at her.

Maddie returned the smile, "Chin Ho Kelly! You haven't changed a bit. I remember when you were a rookie working with Steve's dad." She gave him a warm hug and then introduced herself to Kono.

"Steve and Maddie were quite the pair in high school. The captain of the football team and the captain of the cheerleading squad." Looking back at Maddie, he said, "I know John and Doris thought a lot of you, Maddie."

Maddie blushed a little at the compliments. "Thanks, Chin. The feeling was mutual."

"So, Steven….What brings us in at 9 on a Friday night?" Danny couldn't contain his curiosity anymore.

Steve slipped a media card into the computer as pictures of Stephanie came up on screen.

"This is Maddie's daughter, Stephanie. She's 15 and she left L.A. to come to Hawaii two days ago.. She's here with a modeling agency doing some work without Maddie's permission, so we need to find her."

Everyone remained quiet for a few short moments as they all stared at the pictures in front of them. They were looking at a teenage girl who had Steve's facial features and could practically be his twin. All three turned to look at him almost simultaneously, but no one was brave enough to say anything.

Danny finally spoke up, "So if this is just a missing persons case, why are we getting involved. Can't HPD handle this?"

"Yes, they could, but I want my team on it." He paused for a brief second before taking a deep breath and confirming what they were already thinking, " Stephanie is also _my_ daughter. "

Danny opened his mouth to say something but Steve put up his hand to quiet him and continued. He took Maddie's hand with his free hand, "And before anyone says anything, NO, I did not know about her until now, but we can go into all of that later. The important thing right now is to find her and make sure she's okay. Like I said, she's here doing some modeling" He looked at Maddie as he continued, "But she apparently also came here looking for me."

"Kono, Maddie has the name of the agency she's working with. I want you to give them a call. I want to know where they are staying, what is their schedule, and what are their hangouts when they're in town. Talent agencies always like to get their people out and about. I want to know where they've been, where they're going, and where they're at right now."

"Got it, Boss." Kono left with Maddie to start making calls.

"Chin, I need you to get Stephanie's pictures over to Duke so he can circulate with the guys on patrol to see if anyone has seen her. Keep me informed. Danny and I are going to go to some of the popular clubs and see if we have any luck finding her that way."

As they were leaving the office, Maddie came out of Kono's office to talk to Steve briefly.

"If you do find her, go easy on her. I know she came her to find you, but it's going to be a shock to her if you find her first. Know what I mean?"

"Don't worry. I'll get her back….and I'll take care of her." Steve winked at her, squeezed her hand and walked out the door.

*************h50*****************h50

Danny and Steve had visited two clubs with no success when they got a call from Kono telling them the name of a club that the modeling agency often took models to when they were in town.

As they got closer to their destination, Danny decided to check with Steve who had been very quiet.

"You okay, Buddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Steve answered.

"Well, maybe because you just found out you have a 15 year old daughter, that's why. That's not exactly routine news."

"I'm ok, Danny". Steve tried, unsuccessfully, to assure him.

Danny looked at him as if he didn't believe him. Steve sighed, "Okay, so maybe I'm not okay, but I don't have time to think about it now. We need to find her and make sure she's ok. Then we can start sorting all of this out."

"Okay, well I just want to warn you."

Steve rolled his eyes since Danny always seemed to be about doom and gloom. "Warn me about what?"

"Trust me. Paternal instincts for daughters can run very strong. Doesn't matter if you've had a daughter for 5 minutes or 20 years. I can almost guarantee you that you are going to feel SOMETHING if we find your _underage_ daughter in a club with people….specifically _men_, who are older than her. If it was Grace, I would kill them first and then move on to dealing with her. I don't want you to fly off the handle. You're going to have to handle this diplomatically if you don't want to scare her off."

Danny had a point, Steve had to admit. "I'll be fine. Trust me. I'm good at being diplomatic." Steve smiled.

_Mmmhmm. How many times have I heard that before?_ thought Danny as they got out of the car and approached the entrance to the club. They walked up to the doorman who looked them up and down and shook his head, "We're full tonight. No one else gets in."

Steve lifted his shirt a little to show the badge clipped to his waist and glared at the man, "I'm pretty sure you have room for two more". The doorman reluctantly lifted the rope to let them inside.

The music was loud, the drinks were flowing, and the place was full of 20-somethings looking for a good time. Steve and Danny started making their way around when Danny spotted a table full of girls none of whom could be over the age of 19. He spotted Stephanie right in the middle of the pack and discreetly pointed the table out to Steve. Steve noticed her too and stopped as if he's suddenly been bolted to the floor. He couldn't make his feet move as he looked at her for the first time. _His_ daughter. It was almost like looking at a mirror version of himself except she was female. She was so beautiful and he suddenly felt very protective. Getting her out of there and away from the leering eyes of the men in the club became his first priority.

"You ready to do this?" Danny asked him shaking him out of his trance.

"Yeah. Let's go." Steve said and they walked towards the table of girls. As they approached the table, a waiter approached as well with a tray full of cocktails. Knowing that most of the girls were probably underage, Steve waited for a moment before saying anything. As the waiter got ready to hand a drink to Stephanie, Danny stopped him.

"Have you checked ID's on these young ladies?" Danny asked.

"Of course we did. They're checked at the door." the man replied.

"Well, the doormen need to get their eyes checked so they can see dates on those ID's instead of just pretty faces." said Steve. "I'd bet my paycheck that none of them are over 19. I know for a fact, you have some that are only 15 at this table." He looked directly at Stephanie as he spoke.

As their eyes met, recognition crossed her face as she realized she was looking at her dad. Steve McGarrett in the flesh. Even though she had wanted to find him, she suddenly felt defiant when they were face to face.

"Come on, Stephanie. You're coming with us." Steve reached his hand towards her and waited for her to move.

"Like hell, I am." she shot back.

Steve's eyebrows shot up. He looked at Danny as if he didn't believe what he'd just heard, then back at Stephanie, "Excuse me?"

She crossed her arms defiantly. "You heard me. I said, like _hell_ I am!" A couple of her friends giggled in agreement with their friend.

A woman approached them who appeared to be a "chaperone" from the agency.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" She asked protectively.

"Yes you can." answered Steve as he showed her his badge. "I'm Commander Steve McGarrett with Five-0. I would highly suggest you get these young ladies out of here and into something more age appropriate."

"Steve _McGarrett_?" she questioned as she looked from Kylie to Steve.

"Yes, Steve McGarrett. Stephanie is my daughter. She will be coming with me and you need to get the rest of them to a hotel or wherever it is you are staying since they are all to young to be here….drinking." Then he looked pointedly at Stephanie, "Let's go. Now!"

Stephanie decided to do as she was told in order to save herself from being any more embarrassed. After all, she'd never had a dad before so she wasn't exactly sure what might happen if she didn't do as he said. Something told her Steve wasn't one to try anything on, so she stood up with a huff, told the other girls she would see them soon, and stalked out of the club with Steve and Danny following close behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Stephanie walked out of the club with her head held high trying to ignore the two men following close behind. Steve, on the other hand, tried to ignore the fact that Stephanie barely had enough clothes on to cover herself. He noticed the men admiring her as she walked through the club and didn't like it….not one bit. By the time they finally got outside, he had come close to clocking a couple of them for staring at his girl. Danny was right: Paternal instincts seemed to kick in immediately. Anyone watching the trio make their way out of the club had an interesting sight: Stephanie was pouting, Steve was scowling, and Danny was taking it all in with interest.

They stepped into the cool night air and Stephanie stopped once they reached the sidewalk not knowing which way to go. Steve walked up behind her and motioned in the direction where they had parked. "The car is this way."

As he walked slightly passed her, he noticed her wiping a tear from her eye. It stopped him in his tracks. He came back to her and reached out to touch her shoulder but she shrugged him away.

"Don't touch me." she snapped.

"Okay fine. " Steve held up his hands in surrender, "Follow me then."

"I'm not going with you." Stephanie declared. Steve slowly turned back to face her again.

"Yes, you are." he said matter of factly. "This isn't open for discussion, Stephanie, and I'm not going to stand here and argue with you about it. You're in a lot of trouble, young lady. Now get your behind in the car before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you. And judging by the length of that skirt you have on, that's not something you want me to do."

Stephanie glared at him. He had to admire her spunk even though it was exhausting him at the moment. Suddenly, her brave façade disappeared as tears started to well up in her eyes. Her shoulders began to shake as she tried bravely not to shed any tears. Steve looked at Danny not knowing what to do. How could she go from defiance to tears so fast? Danny motioned for him to try again. Steve could handle a lot of things, but female emotions was not one of them. Especially the roller coaster emotions of a teenage girl.

Steve reached out to her again and this time she didn't push him away. "Come here," Steve said as he pulled her to him. "Danny, call Chin and let them know we have her and will be there as soon as we can." Danny nodded and stepped away to make the call while Steve turned his attention back to Stephanie.

"I didn't want it to be like this," she sobbed into his shirt.

"Shhhh…." Steve soothed. "You didn't want _what_ to be like this?"

"I didn't want to meet _you_ like this. This isn't how I had it planned."

"Well, how _did_ you have it planned?"

Stephanie didn't answer right away. She just continued to cry into Steve's chest as he held her close. Much to Steve's relief, her tears finally began to subside, but she still didn't let him go. He let himself enjoy the moment even though they had a long way to go before any real relationship could be established. For now, he just enjoyed holding her.

She finally answered his question. "I didn't really have a solid plan to be honest. But if I did, it wouldn't have involved crying into your shirt like a little baby." She stood up straighter and wiped her eyes again. "I'm a grown woman after all."

Steve folded his arms and stepped back to look at her. "Uh, I wouldn't say that. A grown woman wouldn't leave a note for her mother and then jump on a plane to fly hours away where she didn't know anyone. Do you know how dangerous that was? You've worried her sick. I understand you wanting to come here and meet me….and I'm really happy that has happened…..but there is a right way and a wrong way to do these things. What you did was very irresponsible."

Feeling appropriately scolded, and knowing Steve was right, she didn't say anything to him. Danny finished his conversation with Chin and Maddie and walked back to them. Steve put his arm around Stephanie, "Come on. Let's go find your Mom and the three of us will discuss this a little more."

Stephanie turned her big eyes up to him and tried to smile innocently. "Do we have to? Maybe we could just forget all of this and start fresh."

Steve was struck with how that look seemed to melt his heart and was reminded of the times Danny had talked about Gracie using this particular trick. He didn't let himself back down, though. He just shook his head, "I'm afraid not, sweetie. Let's go over this again: You ran away, boarded a plane and flew to Hawaii, went to do a modeling job your mom told you _not_ to, and we just found you hanging out and drinking at a club when you're only 15. Not to mention the fact that you're barely dressed. The three of us are going to have a long discussion about all of this when we get back to my house tonight. "

Hearing the offenses stacked up like that, Stephanie realized how much trouble she was in. Something told her that Steve wasn't the type to just let things go, either. She suddenly didn't feel so good.

They made their way back to the Five-0 headquarters and found Chin, Kono, and Maddie waiting for them. Maddie immediately ran to Stephanie.

"Stephanie! Oh baby, I'm so glad you're ok!" She held on to her daughter for a minute as if not wanting to let go. Then she stepped away to glare at her, "Stephanie Michelle, what were you thinking? I can't _believe_ you did this!"

Stephanie hung her head knowing everyone was listening. "I'm sorry, Mom. I really am."

"Well, you're in big trouble, young lady. BIG trouble. We're going to have a long talk about this."

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "I know, I know. Geez, I've already gotten the 3rd degree from Steve."

Steve stepped in, "Hey, don't sass your mother. And I better not see any more eye rolling, do you understand?"

Stephanie looked at Steve. He raised his eyebrows and repeated the question, "Do you understand me?"

Stephanie immediately changed her tone and sighed, "Yes, I understand."

Maddie couldn't help but smirk at this little exchange.

He looked at his team, "Thanks for coming in guys. I'll see you all in the morning. Maddie, Stephanie, and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Everyone said their goodbyes and headed home.

***********h50*********h50

It was nearly 1 a.m. when they got back to McGarrett's house. Stephanie had fallen asleep on the way home. Looking at her in the backseat of the truck, Steve looked at Maddie and whispered, "It's been a long day. What do you say we get her in bed and just pick this up in the morning? We'll have more time and won't be so tired. The important thing is that she's safe now."

"Sounds good to me." Maddie answered. "I'm exhausted." She turned around to wake Stephanie up, but Steve stopped her.

"No, let her sleep. I'll get her." He handed his house keys to Maddie so she could unlock the house and gave her the code to the security alarm. While Maddie took care of that, he opened the back door of his truck and gently lifted a sleeping Stephanie into his arms to carry her into the house.

He carried her up to Mary's room as easily as he could trying not to wake her. Maddie turned down the covers of Mary's bed and Steve laid her down and covered her up. With her eyes still closed, she sleepily whispered, "Goodnight, Daddy." Maddie's heart swelled at the endearment and Steve got a large lump in his throat. She may not remember it in the morning, but he would never forget it: The first time she called him Dad. He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, "Goodnight, sweetie." Maddie kissed her as well and the two of them left the room to head downstairs.


	5. Chapter 5

She'd called him "Daddy". Even though she was half asleep when she said it, Steve couldn't shake the stirring in his gut when she'd uttered the word.

He was a Dad…

Part of him was enthralled with the fact that he had a child. Another part of him was furious at Maddie for keeping the secret all these years. However, he knew he would have to work through the anger and feelings of betrayal if he ever hoped to have a relationship with his daughter…..and Maddie…again. As difficult as it was to admit, Steve realized Maddie had done what she thought was right at the time; It didn't matter that the decision was one he didn't agree with _**now**_. Who knows what he might have thought sixteen years ago when she found herself pregnant at the same time he'd been forced to leave the island…..and forced to leave the Maddie he loved.

The events surrounding his mother's supposed death had altered his life completely. Things may have been totally different, but no good could come from dwelling on that now. The important thing was that Maddie was back…..and they had a daughter to focus on.

As Steve stood in the doorway with Maddie, he looked back at a sleeping Stephanie again. The moonlight was coming through the window and resting on her face. Steve was struck again with the resemblance she had to him. There was no denying she was a McGarrett…..No denying she was his.

Closing the door, they made their way downstairs where Steve offered her a drink. Grabbing a beer for himself and a glass of wine for Maddie, they made their way out to the lanai where they listened to the quiet surf rolling into the beach in front of them. Maddie's mind was suddenly filled with memories of summer days she had spent at the McGarrett house having barbeques and spending time outside in the water. Her heart ached for what she missed when Steve had gone and she had found herself pregnant with Stephanie. What might have happened if he had been able to stay and they had faced the pregnancy together?

"You're awfully quiet. What are you thinking?" Steve asked her quietly.

Maddie turned to look at him with a sad smile playing on her lips, "I was just thinking about all of the great times we had together in this backyard when we were kids. And…..about how you used to always throw me into the water even when I begged you not to." She let out a laugh, "We had a lot of fun."

Steve shook his head in agreement, "Yeah, we did. I always thought I was the luckiest guy at school to be with you."

Maddie smacked him playfully on the arm and felt herself flush at how hard his bicep was. She forced herself to stop from touching him more. As captain of the football team, Steve had always been fit and athletic, but he was all man now. "Oh come on," she teased, "YOU were the one who was the real catch."

"Not so," Steve argued jokingly. "You were, without a doubt, the prettiest girl in school and could've had any guy you wanted. But somehow I am the one lucky enough to have had you. " His eyes softened, "You're even more beautiful now."

Maddie felt herself blush as Steve reached up and touched her cheek with his fingers. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Maddie. You have to know that I would've been beside you the second I found out you were pregnant if I would've known." He looked down at the ground before continuing, "I wouldn't have let you go through that alone….and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to miss this much of our daughter's life."

Maddie reached out to touch his arm again causing Steve to look into her eyes, "I know," she said. "If I could do it all over again, I would change a lot of things. After your dad told me why you were leaving, I thought I was protecting you by keeping her from you. I thought I was letting you live your life without any attachments or complications…..but I realize how wrong I was. It was selfish of me. I know now that I hurt Stephanie….and you….and I want you to know how sorry I am."

Maddie looked like she was on the verge of tears again, so Steve pulled her into his arms and held her close. It was like déjà vu having her in his embrace again. "We were just kids, Maddie. What's important is that you're both here now. We'll work through it. Okay?"

Maddie looked up at him and found she couldn't speak around the lump that had formed in her throat. She merely nodded her head in agreement before seeing a familiar longing in Steve's eyes. The was no denying that the attraction that had always been between them was still there as Steve leaned down to take her lips in his own. In that moment, it was as if no time had passed at all. She was still the Maddie who had changed his world with her smile; The Maggie he had never gotten over; And the Maddie he knew he still loved. Yes, they had a lot to work through, but Steve wouldn't even allow himself to think of losing her again. Now that she was back in his life, he wanted to figure out a way to keep both Maddie and Stephanie in his life.

Unnoticed by Steve and Maddie, Stephanie had awakened and snuck out onto the balcony on the top floor of the McGarrett house. She crept quietly across to get close enough to hear the conversation between her mom and Steve. They were standing just below her in the yard below, and although it was difficult for her to make out everything that was said, she caught most of it. Hearing Steve's admission that he would have wanted to be part of her life all these years hit her more than she thought it would.

As a child, she had never thought much about her dad….Especially since so many of her friends came from broken homes and were shuffled between parents on weekends and holidays. It wasn't until she had gotten older that she started to feel a void in her heart at not knowing who he was, or where he was, or whether or not he even knew she existed. When she found out her mom had never told him about her, Stephanie had been furious and became determined to find him on her own. Admittedly, she probably hadn't handled that in the best way by hopping on a plane and flying to Hawaii without her mom's knowledge, but look how things were turning out now. She wanted to congratulate herself…..even though she knew she was in trouble for what had happened. Especially for being found at a club by Steve when she was underage. Something told her Steve would not be one to mess with when it came to things like that. _Oh well_, she thought to herself,_ we'll deal with that later, I guess._

Stephanie saw Steve take her mom's face in his hands and lean down. Strangely, it didn't gross her out when she saw them kissing in the backyard like teenagers. It actually gave her hope; Hope that she might finally have the family she always wanted.

Not wanting to be caught watching them, she quietly went back into the house and got into bed.

When Maddie and Steve made their way inside later, Steve insisted that Maddie sleep in his room while he took the couch. It took some convincing since Maddie appeared to be just as stubborn as ever, but Steve finally convinced her that he wouldn't have it any other way. She made her way upstairs for some much needed rest. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, the emotional exhaustion of the day took over as she climbed into Steve's bed. It felt strange and wonderful at the same time. Everything in the room was exactly what she would have pictured for him: Strong, masculine, and clean. Realizing that one of the pillows smelled like his aftershave, she chose that side of the bed and curled under the covers with dreams of Steve on her mind.

*************h50**********h50***************h50

_The next morning….._

Maddie woke up and made her way downstairs to look for Steve. When she didn't find him right away, she started some coffee in the coffee pot on the counter and went outside. Looking down the beach, she saw him running towards her and couldn't stop herself from staring. Men may not like to be called "beautiful", but there was no other word to describe him. As he got closer, he saw her standing in the yard and waved before making his way to her. He had on black running shorts, socks and tennis shoes….That was all. For the first time, Maddie saw the impressive tattoos on his body as well as his abs. _My God, 'washboard abs' really do exist_, she thought. _Who knew?_

Maddie realized her mouth had dropped open and she was practically drooling, so she quickly clamped it shut before Steve could catch her gaping at him. _How embarrassing would that be?_, she chided herself.

"Morning. Did you sleep ok?" He smiled at her breathlessly as he grabbed a towel on the chair and wiped himself off.

"Like a baby," Maddie replied, "I can't remember the last time I slept so well. Yesterday was a long day."

"Want some breakfast?" Steve asked. "I was going to go in and make something for us after my run."

"No…..I can do that. I mean, it's the least I can do after you found Stephanie and put us up for the night….and everything."

"Don't be ridiculous. You are my guests. SO, why don't you let ME make some of my famous pancakes."

How could she turn him down? She'd never been able to resist his smile or his charm and she felt herself giving in just like old times. "Okay, fine. But I will insist on cleaning up if you cook."

Steve answered by giving her another smile and grabbing her hand to walk into the house.

They made their way to the kitchen where they began cooking. Maddie ended up helping with breakfast anyway by cutting up some fruit and scrambling some eggs while Steve worked on the pancakes and squeezed fresh orange juice.

Stephanie walked into the kitchen looking wide awake and refreshed after the quick shower she had taken upstairs.

"Mom, I gotta go."

"Go where?" Maddie asked her with total confusion on her face.

"I have a shoot this morning. I told you I was coming for a modeling job. We're doing some shots on the beach today."

"Yeah, a job that I told you not to do. We still have a lot to talk about, young lady. You're not even supposed to be here!"

Stephanie looked from her Mom to Steve before turning to her Mom again, "Yeah, but now I _am_ here….so I really need to do this job. I can't break the contract."

"Well considering the contract isn't even _legal_ since my signature is forged, I think that's the least of your worries right now."

Stephanie tried to resort to the pouting that had sometimes worked when she was younger, "Pleeeeese, Mom? This is really important to me."

Maddie looked to Steve. "Look, if it was up to _me_, she wouldn't be going anywhere after what happened yesterday," Steve began, "But these are unusual circumstances, I guess…..so the decision is yours."

Then looking back to Stephanie, he said, "You _will do _whatever your mom decides. Got it?"

Stephanie reluctantly shook her head in agreement and Maddie sighed, "Okay, fine. You can do this job. BUT, we are all going to have a long conversation later. Do you understand?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "Fine," she sighed.

"Okay, now that that's settled, come eat some breakfast." Steve said.

"Oh no, I can't eat." Stephanie said.

"Why not?" Steve asked.

"Didn't you just hear me? I have a modeling job in like two hours. I can't be all bloated and everything."

Steve ignored the sass coming out of her mouth for the moment. "When was the last time you ate?"

She folded her arms, rolled her eyes again and sighed, "I can't remember. But it doesn't matter anyway. I'll just drink some juice on the way there and be fine."

Steve walked over to her, gently took her arm, and began leading her to the table out on the lanai. "No, you'll eat _now_ before you go. And don't argue with me…..Trust me, you won't win."

She started to roll her eyes once again before he stopped in front of her and held up three fingers, "Okay, that's three times in the last two minutes you've rolled your eyes. No more eye rolling…..Understand?" She looked up at him as if unsure how to respond. Then, he offered her one of his charming smiles, " I make the best pancakes you've ever put in your mouth, so _sit down _and _eat_."

She couldn't help but give him a small smile back. Besides, his pancakes did smell good. Really good, in fact. They were big and fluffy just like pancakes were supposed to be. Without further argument, she sat down at the table as Steve put pancakes onto her plate with the butter &amp; syrup close by.

_Okay, maybe just one pancake,_ she reasoned with herself. _I can always throw it up later._


	6. Chapter 6

After finishing breakfast, Stephanie made her way back upstairs to brush her teeth. When she came back downstairs, Steve told her that he would drop her off at the location. She protested and told him she had called a cab, but Steve insisted on taking her himself.

"You've never been to this island before and you aren't familiar with where you're going or anything else. So, you aren't taking a cab….End of story. Besides, I want to see where you'll be working today."

"Why?" she asked.

Steve shrugged, "Just want to make sure it's safe."

A look of annoyance crossed Stephanie's face as she crossed her arms in frustration. Steve stood his ground and crossed his arms as well. They stared at each other, neither one willing to budge, while Maddie was just amused seeing them square off. She had always known Stephanie had a lot of Steve's mannerisms and characteristics, but seeing it played out in front of her was heartwarming. And even though she was enjoying the show in front of her, guilt washed over her again knowing she had kept them apart all these years.

Stephanie looked towards her mother hoping to find some support, but instead found Maddie trying to unsuccessfully hide a smirk.

_Great_, Stephanie thought. _Now, not only do I have one overprotective parent, but __**two!**_

Steve looked at Maddie and tried not to smile himself. Instead he winked at her and she felt her knees go weak.

Turning his attention back to Stephanie, he asked if she was ready to go.

"Whatever." Stephanie answered petulantly as she rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag.

Steve chuckled, "You really do have a thing with rolling your eyes, don't you?"

Stephanie didn't comment as she walked out towards Steve's truck. Before closing the door behind him, Steve turned back to Maddie. "You're meeting me for lunch, right?"

"I'll be there." Maddie smiled happily at him, "12:30, right?"

"Yep. See you soon." Then, to Maddie's surprise, he came back in to give her a quick kiss, "Looking forward to it, Maddie girl."

Maddie felt as if she could melt into puddle on the spot. No doubt about it, she still had a thing for Steve McGarrett. He could make her weak in the knees by winking at her, feel like she was melting by kissing her, and made her heart beat faster just by looking at her or smiling her way. The realization that they still had chemistry after all this time scared her and exhilarated her at the same time.

Steve quickly walked out to join Stephanie and drive her to her location for the shoot. She told him the name of the beach, so Steve made his way there. Upon arriving, Stephanie tried to tell him a quick goodbye and get out of the truck, but Steve insisted on walking up with her.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Seriously. I just want to check it out and then I'll leave you."

"Good grief, I'm not a baby." Stephanie huffed.

Steve took in a deep calming breath. Was she always so exasperating? He turned in his seat to look at her before responding, "First of all, this is going to go a lot easier once you drop the attitude. I may not have been around until now, but I'm here _now_. So, now that we are together, we need to set some ground rules. The first one being that I won't put up with the attitude."

Stephanie looked down at her lap and Steve continued, "To answer you….._No,_ you're not a baby…but you're also not an adult. Your mom and I don't know anything about the people you're here with, and after what I saw last night, I'm not entirely convinced you'll be safe with them. Sooooo…either I check it out OR you don't go at all. The choice is yours."

Once again, Stephanie knew she had no choice but to give in. She grabbed her bag, got out of the truck, and walked towards the tents that had been set up as dressing rooms for the day. Steve quickly saw the woman who had supposedly been "in charge" of the girls the night before as she approached them with a relieved smile.

"Stephanie, sweetie, so glad you could make it. After last night, I wasn't sure if we would see you again." She glanced quickly at Steve and then back to Stephanie.

"Well, here I am," Stephanie tried to sound cheerful. "Ms Reynolds, this is my dad, Steve McGarrett. Steve, this is our chaperone, Diana Reynolds. I don't think you were introduced last night." She looked at Steve nervously, her eyes all but begging him not to embarrass her. Then she looked back at Diana, "Where do I change?"

Diana began pointing out where to go for clothing changes and make-up when the photographer, Christoph Simmons walked up. Steve had learned from Stephanie on the ride over that Christoph Simmons was a famous photographer and it was apparently a big 'honor' to be asked to one of his shoots. Steve, however, was waiting to be convinced. Christoph was tall with long blond hair and looked to be in his early 30's. Something about him didn't sit well with Steve. Maybe it was the way he was looking at his daughter. Once again, Steve thought about what Danny had told him the night before: Paternal instincts would come quickly, whether he had been a dad for one day or fifteen years. He was right. Steve felt a protectiveness towards Stephanie that was somewhat disarming. And he certainly didn't like the way the man was looking at her.

"Stunning." He said as he continued to look at Stephanie, "You are simply stunning, my dear. The camera is going to love you today."

Stephanie blushed under his appreciative gaze, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity. I'm so happy to be working with you."

"Come. I will show you where you can change." He moved to put his arm around Stephanie's waist and lead her away before Steve pushed him away to stand in between them.

"How about this?" Steve all but growled, "You touch my daughter like that again and I'll break your fingers?" Steve glared before giving him a smile that was dripping with sarcasm. "Understand?"

Christoph glared back….for a second…..before noticing the badge at Steve's waist as well as the gun holstered at his side. He wisely decided not to provoke him.

He took a step back and put his arms up in mock surrender, "Sorry, Pops" he said, although his voice held no conviction of a real apology. "Didn't realize you were her father."

"Well now you know." Steve snapped.

"Chill. Don't worry, we'll take good care of your girl."

"Make sure that you do."

Stephanie decided to try and defuse the situation before she lost her job. She reached up to touch Steve's arm, "I'll be okay. This is going to be fun!" She looked at him with her big blue eyes and offered him a sweet smile. Steve found himself calming down….a little. Stephanie saw his face soften a little, so to seal the deal, she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, "Really. I'll be okay. I'll call you later, okay?"

Steve still looked gruff even though he felt calmer on the inside. He smiled back at her, "Okay. I'll pick you up when you're finished."

Then, he looked back at Diana. "Here is my cell phone number. Call me if you need anything. Make sure she's treated right and we won't have any problems. Understand?"

"Absolutely, Commander. You have my word." she answered nervously.

Steve gave Stephanie a quick hug and then walked towards his truck right as Stephanie's friend Alyssa walked up to her.

"Geez. _That's_ your dad?" she asked.

Stephanie turned to her friend, "Yeah, that's my dad."

Alyssa smiled appreciatively. "Wow. He's a looker. I mean, he's _old_…..but still, he's gorgeous."

"Alyssa, do you mind? I may have only just met him, but it's still my _dad_. I mean, Ewww."

Alyssa smiled at her apologetically. Then, Diana interrupted and started moving the girls towards the dressing area so they could begin to get ready. It was going to be a very busy day.

********h50*************h50*************h50

_12:00 noon_

Maddie made her way into HQ and found Steve, Danny, Kono, and Grover around the smart table. Chin had apparently gone to see Max and check on some evidence he had discovered for their current case. Steve turned towards her and Maddie watched as his eyes moved down her body and backup again. She was wearing a pretty flowered halter top sundress with a flowing skirt that was short enough to show off her shapely legs, but not so short as to be inappropriate. She had paired it with wedge sandals making her look just a little taller. She looked beautiful ad Steve found it hard to tear his gaze away. Noticing the appreciative look on his face, Maddie felt herself blushing. And tingling. Everywhere.

"Sorry. I know I'm early. I can just wait in your office until you're ready."

She said a quick "hello" to the rest of the group before making her way towards Steve's office. He excused himself from the group and told them he'd be right back as he walked behind Maddie into his office and closed the door. Danny looked towards Kono and Grover, his eyebrows raised in surprise. They only smiled knowingly. Something was going on between Steve and Maddie.

Maddie turned to Steve again, "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just…"

Steve stopped her with a kiss and she lost her breath. When he pulled away, she felt dazed but managed to finish what she was going to say, "I…..uh…..I just couldn't wait. Too see you again, I mean. Silly, I know…..But….."

Steve leaned down to kiss her again. "Shhh, Maddie. It's not an interruption. And you don't need to apologize. I've missed you too. Just give me a few minutes, to wrap things up and we'll go to lunch. Okay?"

"Okay." This time she was the one to pull him down for a kiss, "Just hurry."

With that, Steve left his office to wrap things up and take Maddie to lunch.

A few minutes later, they finished and Steve walked back into his office to get Maddie. Steve had driven the truck to work, but had left the keys to the Marquis with Maddie so she could drive it to the office.

"Got my keys?" Steve asked and Maddie handed them over. "Okay, Beautiful, let's go." He took her hand and led her out of the office. Everyone else was leaving too and trying to find a quick lunch. As they got outside, Danny noticed the Marquis parked next to Steve's truck.

Danny looked at Steve in disbelief before looking at Maddie, "Don't tell me he made you drive this deathtrap on wheels?"

Maddie giggled, "What are you talking about? I love this car."

Steve looked at her proudly, "See Danny. Maddie appreciates the beauty of a classic." He put his arm around her, "Besides, we have some great memories in this car."

Maddie's eyes grew big and she blushed before punching Steve in the arm. He only laughed in response.

"TMI, buddy. TMI." Danny retorted before opening up the door to his Camaro. "You too have a good lunch. See you back here in a little while."

"So where are you taking me?" Maddie asked after they got into their car.

"I thought we'd go to Rainbow's."

"Well aren't you being nostalgic today?" Maddie said, "First, you want me to drive the Marquis. Then you take me to Rainbow Drive-In. What else do you have in mind?"

Steve gave her a sideways glance and grinned.

Maddie felt her heart rate speed up. _God, he's sexy. Sexy as hell_.

"I'm not telling. You'll just have to trust me." He reached over to take Maddie's hand and they continued on in silence just enjoying the fact that they were together again.

They grabbed lunch "to go" and got back into the Marquis. As Steve drove, Maddie realized where they were going.

Steve parked the car and glanced over at her, "Don't get out yet."

He got out and grabbed something out of the trunk before opening Maddie's door to help her out. She smiled happily up at him, "Our special place."

"Our special place," he repeated softly before grabbing her hand. "Come on, we have a lot to talk about."

Maddie carried their food and drinks while Steve carried the blanket he'd gotten out of the trunk. They made their way down to the familiar beach that held so many sweet memories for both of them. Steve laid the blanket out on the sand and they settled down to talk.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve and Maddie made their way to the beach where Steve spread out the blanket for them to sit on while they ate lunch. Maddie kicked off her sandals and settled onto the blanket before getting everything out. That's when she noticed that Steve had not only brought a blanket from the trunk, but also a small cooler. He opened up the lid and brought out a perfectly chilled wine bottle and two glasses.

"When did you put all of this in the car?" Maddie asked inquisitively.

"Before my run this morning. I grabbed a bottle and put it into the cooler in case you decided to have lunch with me. And, I know I'm technically on duty, but I wanted to celebrate."

"What are we celebrating?"

"You're back. I want to celebrate having you back. My mind has been in a whirlwind since yesterday, Maddie. I mean, you came back…Then I found out we have a daughter together. I'll admit, I was pissed to find out you kept her from me, but when I saw her…..God, she's so _amazing_…..and beautiful….and Infuriating at times, but still amazing," he smiled and Maddie felt her heart melt like a big pile of goo inside her chest.

_Sheesh, I'm hopeless! _

"I know we have things to work through," he continued, "but I'm glad you're back." Steve paused for a second waiting on Maddie to look at him. When their eyes met, he said, "I've missed you."

Maddie could barely swallow past the lump that had lodged in her throat. As a teenager who found herself pregnant, Maddie had been scared and still easily influenced by her parents. They had always loved Steve…I mean, come on, who _wouldn't?_...but finding out that he had to leave the island, they urged her to get on with her life without him. And she had listened. They basically didn't want the drama in his life affecting their daughter's life. John McGarrett had insisted that Steve be left alone for awhile 'for his own safety' and they had agreed. When they found out Maddie was pregnant, they had made the decision to keep the two of them apart rather than putting Steve, Maddie or their grandchild in danger.

Now, as a grown woman, she realized how very wrong she had been. Looking into his crystal blue eyes and seeing the smile that had always melted her heart, Maddie couldn't deny that she made a huge mistake. She'd never stopped loving Steve. Sure, she'd had relationships over the years…..and she was sure he had, too…..but neither of them had ever married. Could it be because it never felt "right" with anyone else? That was certainly true for Maddie. No one had ever measured up to Steve in her eyes. She had given her heart to him as a young girl and never gotten it back.

Maddie finally found her voice. "I've missed you too. So much. You just have no idea….." her voice trailed off.

"I think I do. Truth is, I don't think I've ever gotten over you, Maddie girl." He reached a hand up to stroke her cheek. Maddie was very glad they were sitting down because she doubted she would have been able to stand when he touched her. Her cheek tingled at his touch and protested when he took his hand away as if it wanted_ more._

"I never got over you either." Maddie moved closer to Steve on the blanket. His eyes grew serious as he watched her, "With Stephanie, I had a piece of you with me all the time…..and that was great…but it made me miss you so much. Every time she would smile, I would see you. When she was thoughtful and serious, I would see you. And when that 'McGarrett' stubborn streak would show itself, I would definitely see you."

Steve chuckled softly at that.

"She has your drive and determination," Maddie reached out to put a hand on Steve's heart, "But she also has your heart."

Steve felt his throat tighten with emotion and he tried to lighten the moment, "Yeah, well there are a lot of people who would say I have _no_ heart."

"But I know better," Maddie answered matter of factly. "I knew Steve McGarrett before life came in and changed everything. The 'old' Steve is still in there."

She smile at him softly and Steve felt hypnotized by the sight of her dimples and long eyelashes. He hadn't been able to resist her as a teen, and it seemed as if the pull she had on him was still there.

"You always did read me pretty well, Maddie."

They both ate a little more of their lunch before Steve spoke again, "So what now?"

Maddie knew he was talking about more than the plans for that day. His eyes were searching hers asking what she planned to do now that Stephanie knew who her father was. Maddie wasn't sure how to respond. Seeing Steve again had brought all of her unsettled feelings for him to the surface, and seeing him with Stephanie made her realize how important it was to have Steve in her life. In _their_ lives. She could only hope he wanted the same thing. Before she could answer him, however, his phone rang.

He looked at the phone before clipping out his normal greeting, "McGarrett".

Maddie watched as the softness of his face turned hard again and he was in full on "Commander" mode. Steve listened briefly, before hanging up and grabbing Maddie's hand, "We'll finish this later. I need to get to a crime scene. Unfortunately, I don't have time to take you back to HQ first, so you'll have to come along. Okay?"

Maddie agreed as they quickly gathered up their things and headed towards the car. Once they were on their way, Steve called the rest of his team and fill them in. Afterwards, he turned back to Maddie, "Sorry our lunch got cut short. I'll make it up to you, okay?" He grabbed her hand and gave it a quick, affectionate squeeze.

Maddie assured him it was okay. He _did _have a job, after all. A very important one. And if she was being honest with herself, she was actually looking forward to seeing him in 'action'. She had always known Steve would be a leader; In school, he'd shown that leadership quality often. There was a charisma and confidence about him that drew others in. She wasn't the least bit surprised where life had led him with his career and she was looking forward to watching him now.

A few minutes later, they pulled onto a street that was lined with police cars and a large tank-like vehicle with S.W.A.T in big, bold letters on the side. Steve parked the car hastily before turning towards Maddie, "Stay here. I'm not sure what we're up against, so don't get out of the car, Okay?" His voice was emphatic.

"Be careful." Maddie said worry etching her face.

"Always." Steve answered as he offered her a smile and a wink before getting out of the car and walking to the trunk. When he made his way forward again, he was putting on a Kevlar vest. He had a weapon strapped to each thigh and one at his side. As Maddie watched him strapping on his vest, she felt almost silly at the fact her heart was beating so fast.

_Oh my!_ She sighed in appreciation.

Then she scolded herself, _Oh for heaven's sake, Madison. Get a grip. He's about to go into a dangerous, volatile situation and here you are drooling over him because he looks like a bad ass. A very __**sexy,**__ bad ass. _

Steve leaned down into the car window, "Hopefully, this won't take long." He gave her a quick kiss…..not caring that Danny was watching….and jogged in the direction of the house that had been surrounded by law enforcement. As Steve approached, everyone gathered around to get instructions from him since this was a Five-0 crime scene and Steve was in charge. After a few minutes, everyone disbursed to surround the house and someone handed Steve a bullhorn to talk to the man inside.

"Trevor Walker, this is Commander Steve McGarrett with Five-0. You need to come out now so we can avoid any more problems. Come out now and we'll talk."

"Go to hell!" the man screamed back. "You've taken everything from me. My wife, my daughter…..Everything!"

Maddie saw Steve glance at Danny and speak to him briefly before turning his attention back to the house, " Trevor, listen to me. I'm not sure what happened with your family, but you need to let your wife and daughter go before someone get hurt."

Maddie's breath caught. He had a woman and a child in there with him?

"Not doing it, Commander." Trevor shouted back, "I'm blowing this place up and taking them with me."

"I can't let you do that. This is your last chance. Now, come out with your hands up!" Steve demanded.

They waited in tense silence for a few moments and nothing happened. Maddie watched nervously as Steve spoke to Grover before making his way towards the house. Watching him move, she could see the intense military training and experience he had. There was no doubt who was in control. SWAT followed close behind, and as they got closer to the side of the house, Steve saw a way to climb on top and started making his way up to the roof.

Fear rose up inside of Maddie as she watched him start making his way up the house. She opened the car door and started quickly walking towards them. Danny saw her and ran to stop her, "Maddie, get back in the car!"

"What the hell is he doing?" Maddie asked angrily. "He's going to get himself KILLED!"

Danny grabbed her arm and turned to walk her back towards the car, but Maddie fought against him. Danny finally took both of her arms in his hands and gave her a gentle shake, "Maddie, listen to me! Steve knows what he's doing. In fact, I've seen him pull this particular stunt a couple of times. Everything will be okay, but you need to get back in the car. Steve will be pissed if you're out here watching with no protection at all."

Maddie didn't look as if she was budging.

"Please, Maddie. Let us do our job."

She gave in, albeit reluctantly, and finally went back to the car. But rather than getting inside the vehicle, she went to stand in the back so she could still see the events unfolding in front of her.

The next few minutes seemed to drag by…..at least to Maddie….as Steve hoisted himself onto the roof, found an opening, and dropped what Maddie would learn was a smoke bomb into the house. It didn't take long for the suspect to stumble out the front door with a hand over his mouth and fall into the yard gasping for air. SWAT surrounded and disarmed him quickly and efficiently as Danny, Grover, and Steve waited for the smoke to clear before making their way into the house. Within minutes Grover emerged helping a woman out of the house and leading her towards a waiting ambulance. Steve followed close behind carrying an obviously unconscious teenage girl. Maddie saw him talking softly to her and felt her heart grow tight in her chest. As they had discussed earlier, he may be known as the 'no nonsense leader of the Five-0 task force', but he was also a protector who cared about those who were in danger.

Trevor was soon carted off towards the police department and his estranged wife and daughter were taken to the hospital for care. Thankfully, no life threatening injuries…..or death…..had occurred, so it was considered a success.

Maddie saw Steve glance in her direction and saw the irritation cross his face as he realized she was out of the car. He started walking towards her with a determined look on his face. Maddie felt herself unconsciously stand up a little straighter. Yes, she could see how people were intimidated by 'Commander McGarrett', but she knew the 'real Steve' and refused to let his scowl ruffle her.

_Okay, so that wasn't totally true_, she corrected, _He is a __**little**__ scary. Or maybe a __**lot**__ scary. Holy moly, he looks hot, though. _She tried to suppress a giggle even though she knew she was in for a butt chewing.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I tell you to stay in the car?" He removed his vest to put it into the trunk as he continued to stare her down. Maddie suddenly couldn't find her voice. Then, realizing that Steve had given no thought to his own safety either, she felt her temper rise again.

"Yes, but then I saw you climbing on top of the house with an obvious madman on the inside threatening to blow it to smithereens…..and I was worried about YOU! I mean, my God what were you thinking?"

Steve saw her bottom lip tremble and sighed. He put his arms around her, "This is my job, Maddie. Everything's okay…..I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, but what if…"

Steve put a gloved finger to her lips, "Shhh. Don't wonder about the 'what ifs'. Just trust that I'm good at my job and everything will be alright. Okay?" He hugged her tight before getting her back into the Marquis and heading towards the Palace.


	8. Chapter 8

Maddie was silent on the way back and Steve wondered what she was thinking. It had been an intense scene to witness with the SWAT team, hostages, smoke bombs, and everything else that had been involved. All of that could be a lot to deal with for someone who wasn't accustomed to such things.

"You're awfully quiet. Everything okay?"

She glanced over and shook her head affirmatively.

Steve wasn't convinced, "So tell me what you're thinking."

Maddie shrugged, "I don't know. Seeing what you did back there…..basically putting your life on the line to save that woman and her daughter…." She stopped and Steve waited for her to continue. "I just really admire you. I always knew you were going to do something great with your life, but seeing how you handled everything today and got them out, makes me really proud of you."

Hearing the obvious pride in her voice meant more to him than anything else she could have said in that moment. It was a rare thing for anyone to say they were proud of him.

"It's also really…." She stopped herself suddenly.

"What?" Steve asked as he noticed a blush creep up her neck to her cheeks. She turned away to look out her window at the scenery passing by. "It's really _what_, Maddie?"

He was teasing her and smirking which unnerved her even more.

"Nothing. Never mind." She said before whispering under her breath, "_Dang it, Maddie. Shut up!_"

Steve held back a laugh and grew curious about what she'd been about to say. One of the habits he'd always found cute and endearing when they were kids was Maddie's tendency to talk ahead of herself and say too much. It was one way of finding out secrets, and he'd found it comical way back then. Seeing her blushing and trying to change the subject, he decided to press on, "Come on, Maddie. I know you better than that. You were going to say something else AND you were blushing…..so it must be something good."

Maddie sighed in embarrassment. Steve gave her his most charming smile and wiggled his eyebrows causing her to giggle in spite of herself, "Forget it McGarrett. That adorable and charming act won't work on me anymore." She rolled her eyes. _Who am I kidding? It __**totally**__ still works. And he __**knows**__ it, dammit. _

"You called me McGarrett. Hmmm, must be something _really_ good. The only time you call me that is when you're hiding something." Steve pulled into a parking spot at the Palace and got out to help Maddie out of the car. As soon as she got out and closed the door, he put his arms on either side of her against the car, effectively trapping her. He leaned in, "I'm not letting you go until you tell me what made you blush."

Maddie pursed her lips and looked up at him. The blush came back to her cheeks, "Okay fine," she huffed, "So it's like this…Seeing you like that was really hot. I mean, reeeally…..hot." She admitted.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, dammit I mean, with the vest and weapons strapped on and you're in total bad-ass mode. It's actually very distracting."

Steve smiled slowly at her, "Oh yeah? So Kevlar turns you on? Hmm, I'll have to remember that," he teased.

She punched him playfully in the chest, "Oh stop it."

He walked to the trunk to take out his weapons, holsters, and yes….even his vest….before leaning down to kiss her, "Like I said, that's good info to know. Gotta get back to work now. Thanks again for having lunch with me. I'll pick Stephanie up when she's finished and we'll be home after, okay?"

Home. With Steve and their daughter. It all sounded so wonderful. So perfect. So normal.

"Sounds good," Maddie answered, "What do you want to do for dinner?"

"Don't worry about it. I should have enough there for us. We'll grill something and there are plenty of other things to go with it. Just enjoy the afternoon and relax."

They shared another kiss before Maddie walked to the other side of the car to get into the driver's seat.

"Sorry, I just can't seem to stop kissing you. Guess I'm trying to make up for lost time." Steve said as he opened the door for her to get in.

Maddie fastened her seatbelt and looked up at him, "I'm not complaining. We always _did_ have a hard time keeping our hands off of each other."

"Yes, we did." Steve admitted.

She started the engine, but Steve had one parting comment before she pulled away, "Maddie?"

She turned her eyes towards him.

Steve held up his vest and wiggled his eyebrows playfully again, "I'll make sure to bring the vest home with me."

Her eyes grew wide before a laugh escaped her, "Stop it, McGarrett. Go back to work!" She pulled out of the parking space and looked in the rearview mirror to find him watching her go.

********h50**********h50************h50

It was nearing 4 p.m. when Steve's cell phone rang. He had been working on paperwork….his least favorite thing to do…when he looked down to see Stephanie's number on the screen. He decided to forego his normal greeting and gave a more standard "Hello."

"Hey, it's Stephanie. We should be finished soon. Are you still gonna pick me up?" She sounded tentative. Almost nervous. As if she thought he may've changed his mind.

"Of course. I'll be there within the hour, okay?"

He smiled as he hung up, still in disbelief that he had a daughter. He started to shut down his computer and grab his keys as Danny walked into the office.

"Finishing up?" he asked.

"Yeah. I need to pick up Stephanie. Then, we're going home. The three of us still have a lot to talk about."

Danny shook his head in agreement. He took a couple of steps into the office towards Steve. "So, what do you think they're going to do? Or should I say, what do you _want_ to happen?"

Steve looked pensive, "I dunno. I mean, it's obvious that I still have feelings for Maddie. And now…..finding out we have a daughter together? I've missed a lot with her. Ya know?"

"Yes, I do. So go…..Spend some time with them and see what happens. You deserve some time off anyway."

Steve went to give Danny a hug. "Thanks, buddy."

Danny couldn't help but notice there was a spring in Steve's step as he left the office and practically jogged to the truck.

_He's such a goner_, Danny thought to himself. _With Maddie and Stephanie both in his life, he doesn't stand a chance._

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Steve pulled up to the photo shoot location and got out to look for Stephanie. It looked as if she was still working, so he tried to stay in the background and be inconspicuous. Diana, the chaperone, noticed him approaching and walked up to him with a smile.

"Christoph wanted to do one more set with her. I hope that's okay. She's done a great job today. He's very happy with the shots he gotten with her. We may even have a cover shot with her."

From the sound of pride in Diana's voice, Steve assumed that was a good thing. However, the thought of his daughter on the front of a magazine wearing next to nothing made him uneasy. He tried to offer a smile to Diana anyway.

It made him uncomfortable to see her posing in a bikini that barely covered her body. It would be different if she were older. _**No**_…..scratch that…..He would probably _never_ be comfortable with it since she was his daughter. But still…being 15 in a bikini like the one she currently had on made him uncomfortable. She looked much older than 15, and although he was sure that's what they were trying to do….make her look older, he didn't have to like it. As hard as it was to hold his tongue, he willed himself to be quiet unless the situation warranted him stepping in. He stayed close enough to watch what was going on, but far enough away to not be noticed.

Christoph finished his session with Stephanie and walked towards her. The muscles in Steve's jaw twitched as he watched Christoph kiss her cheek and say something to her that made her laugh. Then her eyes diverted in Steve's direction. She offered him a warm smile as she walked towards him.

"Hey! Thanks for coming to pick me up."

Steve offered her a smile, "It's no problem. I'm happy to do it." Then his eyes hardened as he glanced towards Christoph. The two men held an intense gaze before Steve turned his attention towards Stephanie. "Everything go okay today?" he asked.

"They went great! Let me just go get changed and I'll be ready to go."

She entered one of the changing tents as Steve waited for her outside. In a few minutes, Alyssa walked…..or more accurately _stumbled_…..out of the same tent. Steve reached an arm out to catch her before she fell. She turned a glazed look in his direction, "Thanks…Oh hey! Your Steph's dad." She slurred.

"Are you okay?"

She waived her hand dismissively, "Oh yeah…..I'm fine."

Steve studied her face completely unconvinced. However, given the circumstances, he knew it would be better to investigate further before making any accusations. It was obvious, though, that Alyssa was high on something. When Stephanie emerged from the tent, he looked back at Alyssa once again.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yep. I'm fine. Thanks for asking, though."

Steve asked where she was staying and was informed that she was staying with most of the other models at the Hilton. They were waiting on a shuttle to take them back for the night. An uneasiness had taken residence in Steve's gut….It was a feeling he'd learned to heed over the years because it rarely steered him wrong. If something smelled wrong, it usually _was_. He decided to fish a little with Stephanie that night to see if anything sordid was going on.

Steve and Stephanie got into the truck and the two started making their way back to the McGarrett house. At first an awkward silence filled the cab, so Steve decided to break the ice.

"I'm glad you came to Hawaii…..Even though the circumstances weren't the best. " he said.

Stephanie looked at him, an expression of uncertainty on her face, "I wasn't sure if you would want to meet me or not. But…I had to know who you were. I'm really sorry I did it the way I did…..Running away and all…..but I just had to know."

Steve reached over to squeeze her hand as he drove, "It's okay. I understand. We'll sort all of it out later. I just want you to know that I'm happy you're here….and I'm happy your mom is here. "

Stephanie looked at him knowingly, "You still love her, don't you?"

Steve was shocked at her statement. He may've been feeling strong feelings towards Maddie, but he wasn't ready to admit it yet; especially not to Stephanie lest she get ideas in her head about him and Maddie. Only time would tell what would happen. Steve would only admit to being happy Maddie was back and he was looking forward to getting to know the daughter he never knew he had.

"I still care about your Mom very much. And I'm really glad you found me, so now I can get to know you too."

"But you still love her. I can tell."

Steve sighed, "You never forget your first love. But Stephanie, listen…..It's hard to say what will happen, if _anything_, between us now. A lot of time has passed and we have things to work through. I can promise you this though: I promise that I will always be a part of your life from now on."

Steve may not have admitted it, but Stephanie saw the love in his eyes. Love that she dared to believe was there for her Mom…and her too. She felt hope rising up in her chest as she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to have a family.

They chatted the rest of the way home about some of their likes and dislikes. They actually had a lot in common and Steve began to realize how right Maddie was to say that Stephanie was definitely a McGarrett. Among other things, he was happy to hear that they both shared a love of surfing and running. Before pulling up to his house, they made plans to get up the next morning to run together.

Steve, Maddie, and Stephanie worked together to make dinner together. They ate on the lanai as Steve listened to stories of Stephanie's childhood; Some of them funny, some of them adorable, some of them showing her inner naughty streak, but all of them endearing. Steve's heart ached thinking of all he had missed out on. As Maddie started to clear the table, Stephanie and Steve stood up to help, but Maddie stopped them.

She gave Stephanie a pointed look, "Why don't you stay out here and talk to Steve, sweetie. I've got this."

Steve looked at her gratefully before turning towards Stephanie. "Come on. Let's go down to the water." Steve pointed towards the chairs he had sitting at the water's edge. As he stood up to walk towards them, Stephanie followed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the waves softly roll in. It was nearing sunset and the view was beautiful and peaceful. Since Stephanie wasn't saying much, Steve assumed she was waiting on him to talk first. Problem was, it was difficult for him to talk or open up. Everyone who knew him knew that. He kept things "close to the chest", so to speak, and kept his emotions under tight control. Something told him that could change if Maddie and Stephanie became more permanent in his life again.

He decided to swallow the uneasiness he was feeling over being transparent with her. Right now, his main priority was Stephanie. He knew she must have a million questions, so he decided to risk it and open up to her.

"So…I want you to ask me anything you want," he began.

Her face looked contemplative, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know you must have questions for me, so ask me anything you want and I'll answer."

"Anything? You promise?"

Steve smiled at her encouragingly, "Promise."


	9. Chapter 9

Stephanie looked out at the ocean and was quiet for a few moments. Finally, she spoke….her voice barely a whisper, "If you would have known that Mom was pregnant with me, would you have stayed?"

Steve heard the pain in her voice and it broke him. It was as if she doubted whether or not he would have wanted her or thought she had been a mistake. Steve knew he needed to tread carefully and respond in a way that was both honest and protective of her heart. Summoning his courage, he answered her as truthfully as he could.

"I had no choice in leaving, Steph. You have to understand that, first of all. But IF things had been different, I know I would have been there for you and your Mom. I never would have abandoned you."

"Did you love her?"

"Yes. I mean, I loved her as much as you can love someone when you're that young. If things continued the way they were going with us, I would have asked her to marry me when we got older. We were kids when we were together, though. We were finishing our senior year, and thinking about college. Then, my Mom was killed. Or so I thought…"

Stephanie looked at him questioningly before he continued, "That's another story for another day." He smiled ruefully at her. "Bottom line is, I loved Maddie and I believed we would stay together. Once we got into college, I had every intention of asking her to marry me. Then, life dealt us a nasty hand and everything changed overnight. We thought my Mom had been murdered and my Dad sent me to live with an old friend; "Uncle Joe" got me into the Naval Academy. I eventually made it into SEAL training and the rest is history."

He stole a glance at her and found her watching him intently. "But, I promise you…..I _promise you_…I would have been there for you and your Mom if I would've known."

"Why didn't you ever call her or anything?"

Steve wasn't sure how much to tell her. If he told her he _had_ tried to call Maddie, it might cause problems between mother and daughter. Then, if he told her they had even talked on a couple of occasions, it would make it even worse. So how did he answer her question without hurting her?

"We both did things we regret," Steve began, "I'm sure your Mom would agree with me when I tell you that we would change things if we could, but we can't. I'm going to do what I can to make it up to you, though."

Stephanie's eyes were brimming with tears, but she swallowed hard and tried to get them to go away. His heart broke again just looking at her trying to be so brave. "I believe you" she managed to squeak out.

"I think your Mom did what she thought she had to do. Doesn't mean I _agree_ with it….but we cant change what happened. The important thing is that you are both here now."

"So what happens now?" Stephanie asked.

Steve shrugged before leveling an intense gaze in her direction, "I don't know. Let's just take things a day at a time and see where they go, okay?"

Stephanie shook her head affirmatively before looking back out at the ocean. Steve decided to press a little further.

"Is that it? Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

Stephanie let out a contented sigh, "For now." She answered. "I have to be honest with you…..I feel like I'm in a whirlwind right now."

Steve chuckled softly "I agree, kiddo. I totally agree."

I'll probably want to ask you more later, but we have time for that, right?" She looked at him skeptically.

Steve put an arm around her shoulders to hug her, "We have all the time you need…and I'm here whenever you want to talk. Okay?"

They sat together in silence for a few minutes before Steve spoke up again. "I'm glad you came to find me." His voice was soft….almost a whisper, as if he was afraid to say it. Truth be known, no one who knew Steve McGarrett would probably believe he was making himself so vulnerable, but knowing he had a daughter had opened a part of his heart that had never been opened before. It changed things. Hell, it changed _everything_ and made his protective instincts come out in full force. Though it had taken him completely by surprise, the need to make up time lost with the daughter he'd never known was strong.

Stephanie leaned over to give him a hug. The ironic thing was that it didn't feel awkward or uneasy. It felt good.

"Me too," she said. "I mean, when I first saw you at the club, it scared the crap out of me…..but I'm glad I came here anyway."

Steve moved back a little to look at her incredulously, "What do you mean, I 'scared' you?"

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes, "You are one intimidating son of a…"

Steve raised an eyebrow at her. She wisely decided to change wording on that particular phrase. "Gun…." She corrected quickly. "_**Yep**_, you are one intimidating son of a _gun._"

Steve laughed before hugging her again. Maddie was looking out through the kitchen window as she finished up the dishes and felt her heart melt inside her chest. She wanted this family…..This unity….This togetherness. Question was, would Steve want it too? So many years had passed and they had both grown up and started their own lives. However, neither one of them had married which made her wonder. She knew in her heart that she had never gotten over Steve. Had he gotten over her, she wondered? She was doubting that with each hour that passed. Being back with him felt right, and even though she had been furious at Stephanie for leaving and coming to Hawaii against her wishes, Maddie couldn't help but wonder if fate hadn't given them a nudge in the right direction.

After a few more moments together, Steve and Stephanie started making their way back up to the house. They entered the house and found Maddie still in the kitchen filling a plate with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.

"Where did you get all of this?" Steve asked.

"I stopped at the grocery store on my way back here today. What do you say to some s'mores?"

Steve's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "S'mores?"

"Yes…..S'mores! I haven't made them in years. If you can make us a fire in that awesome fire pit you have outside, we'll make some."

Steve couldn't help but smile at her and indulge her. Truth be known, he would probably give her anything she wanted at this point. As unnerving as that fact was, it was the truth. If his Maddie wanted to make s'mores, by God that's what they'd do.

Stephanie wasn't as excited about the prospect though, "I can't eat those, Mom. I mean, I have to be in for another shoot tomorrow and I've already eaten too much today."

"One s'more isn't going to kill you…..or your figure, Stephanie Michelle." Maddie replied smartly. The look on her face left no room for argument and Steve tried to hide his smirk. Seeing Maddie in "Mom Mode" warmed his heart, although he wasn't ready to admit that yet.

Stephanie looked in his direction as if looking for some support. He squeezed her shoulder affectionately, "You heard your Mom; One won't hurt you."

He turned to wink at Maddie who felt her insides go to mush…again. _ Damn him and that "look". You are a grown woman, Maddie. Get over it!_

But she couldn't…and she knew it. A saying from her southern bred Momma went through her mind, _Put a fork in her, 'cause she was done_.

Maddie was pleasantly surprised when Stephanie didn't argue about it anymore. She just grabbed the plate with goodies and looked towards Steve. "Okay, super SEAL….you build the fire and we'll work on the s'mores."

As Stephanie walked out towards the backyard again, Steve walked up to Maddie. He put his arm around her before leaning down for a kiss, "Thank you."

"For what?" Maddie asked curiously.

"For following her here and giving me a chance to spend some time with her. I'm so glad you're back, Maddie."

Maddie didn't know how to respond. Her heart felt full, but at the same time, she knew she had caused an incredible amount of pain to Steve by keeping this secret so long.

Steve tipped her chin up towards him, "I can see your head spinning, but we'll figure it out. Like I said earlier, I'm not going to let you go again. Okay?"

Maddie was afraid of what may come out of her mouth if she spoke, so she just shook her head affirmatively.

Steve kissed her again, "We'll figure it out. Now…let's go make some s'mores."

He put an arm around her shoulders as they walked outside together.

********h50***********h50******************h50

The next morning, Stephanie's call time wasn't until late morning, so she decided to ride into work with Steve while Maddie did some shopping. The plan was that Steve would take her to the shoot, Maddie would meet him again for lunch, and they would all get back together at home for dinner later. It was all so "normal" and perfectly wonderful in Maddie's mind.

Steve walked into HQ and re-introduced Stephanie to the rest of the team. Unlike the other night when everyone had been worried about her, this morning was much more pleasant. Stephanie apologized for the concern she had caused. Steve had shared a very brief version of "the story" with them, but all of them wanted to know more. Finding out Steve had a daughter was a surprise to all of them, but they knew he would share it when he felt comfortable. After the case they had handled the day before, there hadn't been time for him to give many more details. Maybe today would be different.

After some initial small talk with Danny, Chin, Kono and Grover, Stephanie followed Steve into his office. She stared in awe at the vast array of Navy paraphernalia around his office and felt a sense of pride over the accomplishments he'd obviously had as a Navy SEAL. There were medals, certificates, awards, and all sorts of other things on display. She wasn't sure what all being a SEAL really entailed, but she knew enough to realize only the most elite ever made it that far. And whoever they were, they were sent to do some of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Jobs no one else wanted. No doubt about it, her dad was no one to mess with.

"Give me a few minutes and we'll head over to your location. Okay?" Steve asked.

"Sure. Can you tell me where the ladies room is at?"

Steve pointed her in the right direction and she made her way out of his office and down the hall.

A few minutes later, Kono came in as well and was alarmed to hear what appeared to be Stephanie getting sick in one of the stalls. She knocked gently on the door, "Stephanie, are you okay?"

"Yeah…..uh…..I'm fine." She sounded startled and Kono grew concerned. When she noticed a package of over-the-counter diet pills sticking out of Stephanie's purse on the sink, she grew even more so.

"Are you sure? Do you want me to get Steve? If you're sick, maybe you shouldn't go today."

Stephanie opened the door suddenly, her eyes wide, "No, please. I'm fine really. Must've just been something I ate." She offered Kono what she hoped was a sincere smile. Kono grinned in return but made a mental note to follow up later. If her suspicions were correct and Stephanie was intentionally making herself sick, she would have no choice but talk to Steve about it.

"Okay, well if you're sure…."

"I'm sure." Stephanie interrupted. She grabbed a travel sized bottle of mouthwash out of her push to rinse out her mouth before applying some lipgloss and grabbing her purse. "See ya later." She said cheerfully.

"Later." Kono replied as Stephanie exited the bathroom and headed back to Steve's office. Steve was finishing up a phone call when Stephanie started to walk back in to his office. Not wanting to interrupt him, she turned to walk out, but he motioned her back in. He ended the call and grabbed his keys.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Stephanie was anxious to get out before Kono had a chance to talk to Steve. She crossed her fingers that the woman had believed her lie and wouldn't tell Steve what had just happened. Hiding it from her Mom had been fairly easy. Wasn't it just her luck to have a dad who was a cop….or detective…..or whatever the heck he was…and be surrounded by people who made a living out of solving crimes and interrogating people. She huffed in frustration and realized she was going to have to be more careful in the future.

************h50*************h50************h50

**I'm almost finished with Chapter 10 and will post it later today! **


	10. Chapter 10

Maddie walked into Five-0 headquarters a few hours later ready to have lunch with Steve. He had postponed their lunch "date" to 2:00 since something had come up that needed his attention. Knowing that he was busy, Maddie decided to stop on her way in to pick something up for them and just bring it to the office. She walked into his office and held up a bag displaying Kamekona's logo. Steve smiled at her gratefully as he ended the call he was on.

"You're the best," he said, "I'm sorry I had to change plans. It's been a crazy day."

Maddie waved him off, "You don't have to apologize. I understand." Steve cleared off a section of his desk for her to put the food on before getting up to pull a chair up for her and close the blinds on his office. For privacy... he'd said. Apparently, he didn't want his co-workers gawking at them while they tried to eat.

Maddie couldn't help but giggle at the scowl written all over his face, "I don't blame them for being curious. Have you told them what happened? With us, I mean?"

"I told them everything this morning after I dropped Stephanie off. They know the whole story now."

Maddie shook her head in understanding as she took a bite of her lunch. "They must not have high opinions of me," she said matter of factly.

"Why would you think that?"

Maddie gave him a wry look, "Come on, Steve. I hid a child from you. Our child….._Your_ child. _They_ are your Ohana, so I know it must be a shock to them too."

"Yeah, it was a surprise," Steve admitted, "But I think they understand. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions, Maddie. And when we have to make those decisions so young, it's easy to look back later and say it was the 'wrong' decision…..but it is what it is. They know what happened with Doris and they've seen me deal with the hell it brought into my life. I don't think any one of them blames you for what you did any more than they would blame our parents for keeping us apart during that time. Hell, in retrospect, it probably saved both you and Stephanie from a lot of heartache….and danger."

"Still…..I know it must be…."

"Don't." Steve said. The tone of his voice left no room for argument, but his eyes were soft. "I'm happy you're here _now_."

Maddie's phone vibrated on the desk and she looked down at the caller ID. "It's Stephanie," she said as she looked at Steve. She pushed to answer the phone, "Hey sweetie. How are things going today?"

She heard her daughter sniffing on the other line, "Mom, you need to come down here. Something is wrong with Alyssa."

Maddie's gaze quickly darted up to meet Steve's. Alyssa was not only a fellow model, but she had also grown up with Stephanie. The girls had been friends since they were children, and although Alyssa had become somewhat distant in the last year, the girls still remained close. They had even been signed by the same modeling company which is why they had made this trip to Hawaii together. "What do you mean, something's wrong?"

Stephanie sniffed again, "We're sharing a dressing trailer today. I just came back in from doing a session and found Alyssa passed out on the bed. I haven't been able to wake her. Something is wrong!"

Maddie tried to soothe her as she put the phone on speaker so Steve could hear, too, "Sweetie, calm down. Is she breathing?"

"Yes, she's breathing, but I can't wake her up. I've been trying to talk to her…..and shake her….but she's not responding at all. I'm scared."

Maddie grabbed her purse, "We're on our way. You need to tell Diana or someone what is going on. She may need a paramedic."

"I _tried_….I told Garrett and he said she was just sleeping. He told me not to worry about it, but I know something is _wrong_."

Maddie wracked her brain trying to remember who 'Garrett' was but couldn't recall. "Who is Garrett?" she asked.

"Garrett is Christoph's assistant. He was coming out of our trailer as I was walking in. When I walked in and couldn't get Alyssa to wake up, I found Garrett and told him something was wrong with her. He just brushed it off and said she would be fine. But she's _not_ fine, Mom! I know it."

By this time, Steve was grabbing his keys and holstering his gun to prepare to leave as well. He and Maddie shared a look of concern.

"Stephanie, stay right there, honey. We're on our way." Steve instructed.

He grabbed Maddie's hand and walked out of his office while motioning for Danny to follow.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked as he left his office to catch up to them.

"I'll explain on the way." Before leaving, he stepped in to Kono's office and handed her a piece of paper, "Kono, call paramedics and have them dispatched to this address…ASAP."

Kono looked up from her desk in alarm, "Stephanie?"

"No, one of the other girls…a friend of Stephanie's….is apparently unresponsive. Stephanie can't wake her up and she said no one there seems concerned. We're going to check it out. It could be nothing, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Get paramedics en route and tell them we're on our way, too."

A look that Steve couldn't quite interpret crossed Kono's face before she quickly disguised it.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

"Uh….no…..nothing, Boss. Go. I'll have them meet you there."

Steve, Maddie, and Danny quickly made their way to Steve's truck and drove to the warehouse that had been turned into a studio for the day. When they were getting close, Maddie called Stephanie to let her know they were almost there. Steve was just parking the truck, when Stephanie came running out of her trailer wearing a terry cloth bathrobe. Maddie put an arm around her and walked with her behind Steve and Danny. A security guard on the set saw them approaching the trailer and tried to step in the way of the door.

"You can't go in there." He started.

Steve pushed him aside impatiently and leveled a glare at him before flashing his badge, "This says I can. Now get out of my way."

He made his way in and quickly found Alyssa lying on the bed in the back. Sirens in the background signaled help wasn't far behind. Steve was relieved to see that Alyssa was breathing although her breaths were shallow. A quick check of her pulse told him it was very faint. She definitely needed medical attention.

"Danny, meet the guys outside and lead them in. We need to get her to a hospital."

Stephanie started crying and Maddie pulled her into a hug, "It's okay, sweetie. They'll take care of her."

As the paramedics made their way into the dressing trailer, Steve recognized them immediately. One of them addressed Steve.

"What do we have, Commander?"

"Hey, Kyle. This is Alyssa McLayne…..16… She's been unresponsive for at least thirty to forty-five minutes. Pulse is faint, breathing shallow."

As the two men began checking her vital signs, the robe that Alyssa was wearing shifted slightly revealing bruises on her thighs.

"Did you see this, McGarrett?" Kyle asked.

Steve peered over his shoulder to look at the marks Kyle was pointing at. His eyes moved upward to see similar marks on her wrists. It was almost as if she had been restrained.

He turned back towards Stephanie, "Who did you say was in here with her when you came back?"

"Christoph's production assistant. His name is Garrett. He was coming out of the trailer just as I came in."

Steve looked pointedly at Danny. The men shared a look that told Maddie they were communicating without words. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Anger flashed in Danny's eyes, "I'll find him."

Danny didn't have to go far. As he stepped out of the trailer, Garrett was a few feet away making his way there. Noticing Danny coming out of the trailer, Garrett shouted at him, "What's going on?"

"And you are?" Danny asked calmly.

"I'm Garrett Jensen. Who are _you _and how did you get in there?"

Danny flashed his badge, "Detective Danny Williams, Mr. Jensen. You're just the man I was looking for. Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

As they turned towards the dressing trailer, the paramedics were in the process of transferring Alyssa out and onto a gurney for transport to the hospital. Steve was talking to Kyle as he exited with them. Although he was trying to keep his voice low so as not to upset Stephanie any further, Garrett was still able to over hear his instructions as he spoke to the paramedic, "Make sure they do a rape kit on her when you get her to the emergency room. I'll send Kono over to talk to her in a little while."

"You got it, Commander."

Garrett stopped in his tracks, "_Rape kit?_ What the hell is going on here?"

Steve turned in his direction, "You must be Garrett?"

"Yes, I'm Garrett Jensen, the production assistant…and I _**demand**_ to know what's going on here. Why are you taking her to the hospital? She's scheduled in front of the cameras in fifteen minutes!"

Steve took a determined step in Garrett's direction and stood within inches of his face. It was intimidating, to say the least. Garrett, who was a few inches shorter than Steve, straightened to his full height trying to give the impression he wasn't affected by Steve's presence. But Steve knew better.

"_**I**_ would like to know what's going on, too, Mr. Jensen. In fact, we're going to go in and have a nice long chat….and you're going to tell us everything. Understand?"

Garrett's gaze wandered over to Stephanie and Maddie. Maddie's arms were wrapped protectively around her daughter who was still distraught over finding her friend in such a state. Anger flashed in his eyes.

"What did she tell you? Did she say I _did something _to Alyssa? If she did, she's a lying bitch!"

Danny's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Steve stood in front of Garrett effectively blocking his view of Stephanie and Maddie. His voice barely hid the fury burning in his chest. He wanted to pummel the guy into the ground for making such a comment about his girl. HIS girl, "_**What**_ did you say?"

Garrett looked back at Steve and decided to choose his next words wisely. He definitely didn't want to provoke him any further. "I just want to know what's going on with Alyssa."

"Well then, we're thinking alike, Mr. Jensen," Steve continued, "Because so do _we_. Now let's go somewhere and talk."

Garrett begrudgingly led them to the trailer being used as an office for the shoot. On their way, he called onto the set to let Christoph know what was going on and inform him that another model would have to be used in Alyssa's place. As expected, Christoph wasn't happy about the change in plans at the last minute, but it couldn't be helped. As Garrett walked into his office with Steve and Danny close on his heels, he excused the other staff members so they could have some privacy.

He settled himself at a table as Steve and Danny took seats across from him.

"So why don't you tell us what you were doing in Alyssa and Stephanie's trailer earlier?" Danny began.

"I was going over the schedule with Alyssa because we had to rearrange some things today. Then, our stylist brought over the gown she was going to wear in her next session. I was talking to her about the particulars of the session and letting her know what Christoph was looking for."

"Did she act 'out of sorts'?" Danny asked.

"What do you mean?"

Steve's impatience got the better of him. "What he _means_ is…..did she act _sick_ or _disoriented_?"

"She acted a little tired, but she seemed fine otherwise. She wanted to lie down and I told her she had no more than half an hour before she would have to start getting dressed for the next shoot."

Steve and Danny looked at him skeptically.

"Stephanie said she was all but passed out when you were leaving and she wasn't able to wake her. How could you not know the difference between tired and passed out?" Steve asked.

Garrett sighed, "Look gentlemen, it's a well-known fact that a lot of these girls take medications to control their weight, their moods, their anxiety, their energy levels, etc. Between diet pills, anxiety medication, and speed…who the hell knows what they're taking on a daily basis? They can be a temperamental bunch, believe me. It is entirely possible that Alyssa took something to 'take the edge off', so to speak, but I don't know that for a fact. When I left the trailer, she was lying down for a quick power nap and had set the alarm on her phone to wake her up. That's all I know."

"So you didn't give her anything yourself?" Danny asked.

"What?" Garrett looked appalled. "Absolutely not! Why would I want my models sleeping on the job, Detective? And while we're at it…..may I ask why you've ordered a rape kit to be taken at the hospital?"

Steve and Danny were silent for a moment before Steve finally spoke, "She has bruising on her wrists and thighs. It's indicative of either _rough sex_ or _unwarranted sex_. Given the fact that she was basically unconscious when we found her, we are thinking it might be non-consensual. Would you know anything about that, Mr Jensen?"

"No, of course not!" Garrett had an uneasy feeling and decided to get some of the heat off of himself.

"_**Look**_, if you want to be suspicious of anyone fooling around with her, you might want to talk to Tristan Bishop. He's one of our male models and he's been pursuing her pretty aggressively."

Satisfied that they had all they could get out of Garrett Jensen at the moment, Steve told him to stay available if they needed him to answer any other questions. Then, he and Danny made their way back to Stephanie's trailer so they could talk to her as well.

They found Maddie sitting on a couch with a cup of tea in hand.

"How's she doing?" Steve asked.

"She's in the back changing her clothes, but she wants to go to the hospital to be with Alyssa. Frankly, so do I. Can we go?"

"Maybe in a little while." Steve answered, "But we need to talk to her first. Something going on, Maddie, and we need to get to the bottom of it..._now_."

Maddie shook her head in agreement as Stephanie emerged wearing cut-off denim shorts and a tank top. Her face was make-up free and she'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She looked every bit the teenager she was. Even though Steve suspected she knew more than she had shared thus far, Steve's heart twisted at the innocence in front of him.

They had to get to the bottom of what was going on. Period.


	11. Chapter 11

Stephanie saw the serious expressions on the faces of her mom, Steve, and Danny. Even though all she wanted to do was get to Alyssa, she had a feeling they weren't going to be leaving for the hospital anytime soon. She was putting her bag over her shoulder as she spoke to them with a pleading look on her face. "Can we go now?"

Steve took a step towards her and took her hand, "In a little while, honey. Right now, we need to talk."

"We can talk _later_!" Stephanie said angrily, "I want to get to go _now_. She's all alone."

Steve didn't let go of her hand as he led her to the table where Maddie was already sitting. "Stephanie, _sit down._ First, we're going to talk. Then, we'll go to her." He said firmly.

"Steve's right. The sooner you talk, the sooner we can go." Maddie agreed.

Stephanie let out a huff of frustration before sitting beside Maddie at the table. Danny and Steve took seats on the opposite side facing them.

"We need to ask you some questions and I need for you to be honest," Steve began, "Holding back…..or lying to us…..is not going to help Alyssa. Understand?"

Stephanie swallowed and shook her head hesitantly.

"Do you know if she was taking any drugs on a regular basis?" Steve began.

She looked down at her hands and wouldn't meet his gaze. Maddie reached over to take her hand, "Answer him, sweetie."

Steve repeated his question, "Was she taking anything?"

"No…." She whispered.

Steve knew she was lying. "So you're saying she didn't take anything? Or are you saying you didn't _know_ if she did?"

She looked up at him defiantly anger flashing in her eyes. "I'm saying she didn't take drugs. Why would you even think that?"

Steve kept his voice calm as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, "You're lying to me."

Maddie's eyes widened in shock, "Steve!"

Steve turned from Stephanie to Maddie but his voice remained calm, "She knows more than she's telling us, Maddie. When I picked her up yesterday, Alyssa all but stumbled out of the tent they were sharing to change in. She was high…..I knew it, but I decided not to push it at that moment. My gut tells me that wasn't the first time either; Especially after what happened today."

He looked back at Stephanie, "So I'll ask you again. Do you know if she was taking anything regularly?"

Stephanie bit her lower lip before speaking, "I'm not going to get her into trouble!"

"She's _already _in trouble, Stephanie!" Danny said, "She's lying in a hospital bed….and the sooner the doctors know what might have put her there, the better. They'll find out eventually anyway, but you could speed things up and _help her_ by telling us what you know."

"Now, young lady." Steve demanded.

Stephanie threw her hands up in frustration, "Okay fine! Yes…she took things."

"Like what?" Steve pressed further.

"Appetite suppressants, antidepressants, and sometimes…." Stephanie hesitate before finishing, "Sometimes she would take pain pills."

"Pain pills?" Maddie asked alarmed, "What on earth did she need pain pills for? Or even DIET PILLS for that matter?"

When Stephanie didn't answer right away, Steve filled in the blanks. "For the high. Prescription narcotics can be very addicting. They can give a good buzz….especially if they're mixed with alcohol. They're also fairly easy to get since they aren't technically 'illegal' like more hard core drugs. The danger is that the high eventually wears off and leads to more potent drugs in order to achieve the same results."

Danny stood up from the table to walk towards the back. A few minutes later, he returned holding a purse in one hand and two prescription bottles in the other, "Here we go. Looks like Oxycontin and Percocet. There's also Zoloft in here and a bottle of something else."

"You can't just go through her purse!" Stephanie fumed as she stood up to take Alyssa's purse from Danny. Before she could get it into her hands, though, Steve leveled a gaze in her direction, "Sit down!" he barked as he pointed to her seat. Stephanie clamped her mouth shut as she planted her behind right back down beside Maddie.

Steve picked up his phone to make a call, "Kono, I need for you to call the hospital and give them a list of these medications that could be in Alyssa's system. They still need to test for other things in case there is something we don't know about. Also, have Chin do background checks on Garrett Jensen and Tristan Bishop to see if he can find anything out of the ordinary. I'll fill you in on that later, but for now I want a preliminary check on them."

Steve noticed Stephanie shift uncomfortably in her seat as he talked to Kono. When he hung up, he caught her gaze, "Something else you want to tell me?"

"No," she answered as she diverted her eyes, "Can we please go see her now?"

Steve knew she was hiding something but decided to let it go for now. They really did need to see if they could find out the prognosis on Alyssa, and more importantly, what had caused the suspicious bruising on her body.

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The foursome made their way to the hospital to find Alyssa. When they walked inside to inquire about her condition, one of the nurses greeted Steve and Danny. As many mishaps as Five-0 had experienced in the last several years, not to mention the number of people they had either visited or sent to the emergency room, most of the staff had become acquainted with them all.

She stood up and gave them a friendly smile, "Commander, McGarrett. Detective Williams. What brings you here today?"

"Hi, Jess…We're looking for Alyssa McLayne. She was brought in about an hour ago." Steve answered.

She pulled up some information on the computer, "Yes, looks like she's stable. Blood pressure is still very low and we have her on IV's for fluids. She was extremely dehydrated which probably contributed to her lethargy. Kyle said you had trouble getting her to respond at the scene?"

"Yeah, she was pretty much out of it and wouldn't even open her eyes. Did you find substances in her system that would have affected her that way?"

"Well, like I said, she was extremely dehydrated. The doctor is running blood tests to rule anything out….Kono called to give us the information you found, but so far Miss McLayne has denied taking anything. We're waiting on the results now."

"Can we please see her?" Stephanie stepped up to ask.

"Sure. Come this way and I'll show you where she is at." She moved around the desk to walk them back to Alyssa. Stephanie and Maddie walked in first before Jessica touched Danny's arm to get his attention, "Can I talk to you and Commander McGarrett privately for a second?"

They stepped back into the hallway and shut the door. She looked somewhat nervous as if she were unsure of what she was about to say.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked encouragingly.

"She is here on a modeling job, right?"

They shook their heads affirmatively.

"Look, I could probably lose my job for telling you this, but I feel like I need to anyway. We see this a lot unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"A lot of young models are brought in here after working long hours in the sun and it is written off as dehydration or exhaustion when the underlying cause is actually something much more serious."

"More serious…..Like what?" Steve asked.

"Drug abuse or eating disorders. Sometimes both. The pressure to be thinner is so strong that they do just about anything trying to achieve a 'beauty' that is unattainable anyway. Not to mention unhealthy. Once the cycle starts, it's difficult to stop without intervention and counseling."

They thanked her for the information as she walked away before walking into Alyssa's room. She was sitting up in bed looking somewhat better. Her skin was still pale, her eyes tired, but at least she was awake and talking to Stephanie. When she noticed them walk in, she sat up a little straighter and offered them a nervous smile. Before they could have much of a conversation with her, however, the doctor came into the room. Steve, Danny, and Maddie made introductions.

"I'm Doctor Chatham. It's good to see you awake, young lady. You gave us quite a scare." He admonished her gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Alyssa answered weakly.

"We spoke to your parents and they should be on their way here soon."

"You called my parents?"

He looked at her resolutely, "You are a minor, so we were required to contact your parents or a guardian. Like I said, they are on their way. In the meantime, they gave me permission to share information with Madison Freeman." He turned towards Maddie, "I presume that is you?"

Maddie shook her head.

"Commander McGarrett, I would like to talk to you as well."

Taking the queue, Danny stepped out into the hall with Stephanie to wait on the doctor. Stephanie had an uneasy feeling in her stomach, so she excused herself to find a bathroom. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she felt powerless to stop herself at the moment. Everything was spinning and felt out of control; She needed to find control somehow. After checking to make sure no one else was in the restroom, she stepped into a stall and tried to make herself purge. Unfortunately, she didn't make much progress since she hadn't eaten in hours. Just the process of trying made her feel better, though, so she stepped out and splashed her face with water. As she exited the bathroom wiping her mouth with a paper towel, she almost literally bumped into Kono again.

_Seriously? What are the chances?_ She thought irritatingly.

"Still not feeling well?" Kono's expression didn't give anything away, but Stephanie heard the meaning behind her words.

"I'm fine." Stephanie lied. The two walked in silence the short distance to the waiting room where everyone else was waiting. Upon Kono's arrival, Steve briefed them on what the doctor had told them:

As previously discussed, Alyssa had been extremely dehydrated. Her blood tests revealed a toxic mixture of alcohol, narcotics, and prescription appetite suppressants. The doctor had also shared his strong suspicion that Alyssa was suffering from an eating disorder which she had vehemently denied. Dr. Chatham had countered that there had to be an explanation for the fact that she was severely anemic and had dangerously low blood glucose levels. When combined with her low blood pressure, dehydration, and low body weight, it added up to that one diagnosis. She continued to deny that she had a problem, so Dr. Chatham dropped the matter for the moment.

He asked to talk to Steve privately, so the men had gone into another room to talk to talk about results of the rape kit. Blood results had not revealed anything else in her system, which was somewhat of a relief to Steve since he had strongly suspected that Rohypnol, or "roofies", were to blame for some of her behavior and her unconsciousness when they'd found her. The doctor was quick to point out, however, that having such a dangerous amount of prescription narcotics and alcohol in her system didn't rule out the possibility that someone had taken advantage of her in a drugged state. According to results from the rape kit and questions to Alyssa upon arrival, it was obvious that she had had sex…..but it didn't appear to be forced. Once again, Dr. Chatham pointed out that anything was possible considering her state of awareness at the time. It was possible that someone knew she was too high to stop them and had taken advantage of her anyway.

It was all Steve needed to hear to convince him they were far from finished in this investigation to see exactly what was going on. If someone was taking advantage of the girls, they would be dealt with.

After talking with Steve, the doctor asked that Alyssa be allowed to rest, so everyone decided to leave with the promise that Steve or Maddie would come back with Stephanie to visit later. Garrett had already called a couple of times in a panic to see if Stephanie would fill in for the spot Alyssa was supposed to have that day. They were rearranging the shooting schedule to accommodate the changes and allow her time to get back to the set and changed. As Maddie and Stephanie headed back to the warehouse, Steve, Danny and Kono went back to HQ to go over what Chin had found out on Garrett Jensen and Tristan Bishop.

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As Chin was getting things ready, Kono found she could no longer be quiet about the gnawing in her gut over what was going on with Stephanie. The timing sucked….Especially since the relationship between Stephanie, Steve, and Maddie was precocious at best, but she couldn't risk staying quiet about it either. She had to talk to Steve.

She knocked on his door hesitantly, "Boss, you got a second?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I don't want to cause problems, but I think I need to share something with you about Stephanie. Especially in light of what has happened with Alyssa…..and considering the girls are such good friends…and knowing a little bit about the modeling world myself…."

She stopped to take a breath, but her expression was wary which worried Steve.

"Kono, what is it?"


	12. Chapter 12

_**Recap:**_

_**Kono, what is it? Steve asked.**_

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Kono stepped closer to his desk, "I think Stephanie may be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I've caught her twice today in the bathroom trying to make herself throw up. The first time was here….in our bathroom. Her purse was sitting on the counter and I also saw some diet pills sticking out when I walked in. The second time was at the hospital. She was walking out of the ladies room just as I walked by and she was wiping her mouth with a paper towel like she had just gotten sick. Both times, I asked her if she was okay….and she said she was fine. But I knew better."

She paused for a second and took a deep breath before continuing. "Steve, I had friends in modeling when I was growing up and I've seen this happen before. I know it's hard to believe but Stephanie is showing quite a few signs that should throw up red flags. I think you need to talk to Maddie. Find out if Stephanie's had changes in her mood…..or if she's being secretive about anything. Also, ask her about Stephanie's eating habits. If you don't do something, I'm afraid it's only going to get worse."

Steve let out a sigh before standing up to walk around his desk and rest against it. He folded his arms in front of him. His expression was sad and pensive.

"Maddie's already told me she's changed lately….She said Steph's been moody and hard to deal. She also said she's become obsessive about her weight now that she's modeling. Maddie had chalked it up to teenage hormones."

"I'm afraid it could be _more_ than that." Kono offered. "What about her eating habits?"

Steve shrugged, "She hasn't wanted to eat with us. I mean, she's griped about it….but then she's sat down and ate with us when I insisted that she do so."

"Did she go to the bathroom soon after she ate?"

"I haven't paid much attention." Steve answered.

"Well, like I said, you may want to talk to Maddie about it some more. One thing I know is that the girls who fall into disorders often feel as if something…or everything…..in their lives is out of control. Controlling their eating is one way they have control over _something_. I've seen this happen before and I would hate to see things get out of control with Stephanie. She is gorgeous…but she's wounded. I know you may not want to hear this, but it's true: Not knowing _**you**_ all these years and then finding you _**now**_ will have an effect on her and could send her over the edge."

The conviction in Kono's voice told Steve it was more than a hunch telling her this. "What make you so sure?"

She smiled at him sadly, "I had a friend in high school who headed down this same path. She was on the cheerleading squad…Gorgeous…Had lots of friends….The whole nine yards. Then, her parents divorced and her father left and broke off all contact with her. It devastated her and before we knew it, she was on a downward spiral. Nothing we said could help her. She ended up in a rehab facility weighing only 80 pounds. She fought like hell to make it out of that place. The good news is that she _**did**_ make it out. Bad news is, there are a lot of girls who _don't_. You need to stop Stephanie before she even gets to that point.

"Thanks for letting me know, Kono." Steve smiled at her before looking very determined, "I won't let it get out of control….. I'll handle it."

If anyone could get to the bottom of it and deal with the situation at hand, it would be Steve.

Kono almost felt guilty for telling him and possibly putting Stephanie into the 'hot seat'.

Almost.

_**But**_…if it meant _saving her life_…..especially since she had just come _**in**_ to Steve's life….Kono reasoned it was worth the risk. She would hate to see Stephanie end up like some friends she'd known years before.

Steve's mind was spinning as Kono walked out of the office. He still needed to get back to the hospital to question Alyssa about Tristan. Maybe he could take Stephanie along for the ride and find an opportunity to talk to her on the way. If not, he and Maddie would definitely discuss things tonight to see how to proceed. He'd be damned if he lost the daughter he'd just found out about. If Stephanie thought she could hide something from him, she had another thing coming.

Before he could make his way to the hospital, though, he needed to see what Chin had found out about Garrett Jensen and Tristan Bishop. Steve walked out to the smart table as Kono, Danny, and Grover, joined in as well.

"So what did you find out?" Danny asked.

"Garrett Jensen seems pretty clean. A couple of traffic violations, but nothing out of the ordinary." Chin put up a picture of Tristan Bishop's California driver's license next.

"Tristan Bishop is another story. This guy has had several assault and pornography charges, as well as drug trafficking. The assault and pornography charges never amounted to much due to lack of witnesses or victim testimony."

"The girls backed out before filing charges." Steve said knowingly.

"Exactly. BUT, he was on probation for those charges. His probation ended six months ago…..Right about the same time he signed with the same modeling agency that Stephanie and Alyssa are signed with now."

"So, what kind of drug and pornography charges are we talking about?" Danny asked.

"Well, that is where it gets interesting." Chin continued. "Apparently, he was charged with giving drugs…mainly narcotics like the ones we found with Alyssa…..to girls in exchange for a photo session. Problem was, most of them didn't know the photographs would be pornographic. Once they were incapacitated, he was photographing them and selling the pictures online without their knowledge or consent."

Something didn't add up. No matter how you looked at it, something didn't seem right, and Steve was determined to find out the truth; Not only because his daughter was involved, but also for all of the other girls like Alyssa who were potential targets. They still needed the rest of the story.

"We need to get him in here for questioning." Steve said resolutely. "Problem is, without someone to back anything up right now, we can't file any additional charges. If we aren't able to find anything new…and I hope to God we _don't_….we can't charge him with anything now. I mean, the thought of this guy preying on girls again makes me want to kick his ass and ask questions later. But something doesn't add up."

Steve looked at his team, "We need to talk to him."

"I totally agree," said Grover, "I mean, if I found out this was happening around Samantha, I don't need to tell you what kind of hell I would unleash on anyone involved."

"We're on it." Kono agreed, "Chin and I will pick him up and bring him in."

"Danny and Lou, I'd like for you to go back and talk to Diana. I think she probably knows more than she's telling us. She is supposedly the 'chaperone', so she's most likely to see or know if these girls are involved in anything shady. Talk to her and see if you can find anything out."

"You got it." They replied in unison.

"Good. In the meantime, I'm going to head back down to the warehouse to pick up Stephanie and Maddie. We have a lot to talk about."

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Steve called Maddie on his way to let her know he would be there shortly. By the time he arrived and made his way into the warehouse, Stephanie was just finishing up with a couple of other girls. They were all dressed in gowns…..if you could call them that…and the set was one that looked somewhat celestial. They were all wearing elaborate ivory colored costumes and the set resembled someone's interpretation of "heaven". Although it made him uncomfortable and portions of Stephanie's body were revealed in ways he wouldn't have allowed, Steve had to admit she looked beautiful. He walked up to Maddie as they waited for Christoph to finish the set.

"Doesn't she look great?" Maddie smiled up at him.

"Hmmmmm." Steve answered, which was actually sort of a 'non-answer' Maddie thought. "It'd be nice if they were a little more covered up." He quipped.

Maddie punched his arm playfully, "Oh come on. Admit it. She looks gorgeous."

Steve couldn't help but smile at her, "Yes, she does. Just like her Mom," he said before leaning down to give Maddie a quick kiss. "We're gonna have to discuss these outfits if she does any more though."

Maddie answered by rolling her eyes and leaning up to kiss him again. "Calm down, caveman. It'll be okay".

Within minutes, Christoph had called it a "wrap" for the day. They had one more day of photos before the shoot would be completed and everyone would head back to L.A.

Seeing Steve standing on the sidelines, Christoph approached him as things finished up. "Thank you for taking care of Alyssa today, Commander McGarrett."

"No problem. It's my job." Steve said, "I _would_ like to ask you a few questions when you're available, though."

"No time like the present." Christoph replied, "Meet me in my trailer in 15 minutes and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Steve could barely contain the shock that crossed his face, but he quickly tried to turn his gaze more neutral. "That would be great. I'll meet you there."

Maddie made her way to collect Stephanie and get ready to leave while Steve waited for Christoph.

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After questioning the photographer for a few minutes and being assured he knew nothing of the suspicious activity going on with his models, Steve turned to leave.

Before exciting the trailer, though, Christoph had one last thing to say, "Your Stephanie is quite special, you know."

Steve looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…she's _special_. She has that look…that spunk…..that _spark _that many photographers look for. If you will _protect_ her from the sharks that can be out there, she can go far."

Steve looked at him but didn't say anything in response.

Finally, Christoph spoke again, "Have a good night, Commander McGarrett. And take care of your girls."

With that comment, Christoph walked out of the trailer on his way to the one that was set aside for developing the photographs taken that day. He still had a couple of hours of work ahead and wanted to get to it.

Steve walked out of the trailer behind Christoph with one phrase on his mind.

'His girls'.

The thought hit him like a rock right in the middle of his chest. Maddie and Stephanie were _**his girls**_…and he knew beyond any doubt in that moment that he would do anything in the world to protect them. Whether they wanted it or not….

The realization amused him as he thought about their reaction to that particular statement. Maddie had been 'his girl' almost seventeen years ago. Then, he had lost her due to no choice of his own. Now, he'd found out they had a daughter together…and he'd be damned if he would lose either of them again.

As he thought about the circumstances surrounding them, he also knew that Stephanie would most definitely not want him interfering right now either. But for her safety…..and the safety of the other girls…..he had no choice.

So, like it or not, she would just have to deal with it. Her 'daddy' was a Navy SEAL…..not to mentionthe _badass _Commander of Hawaii Five-0. Steve was going to get to the bottom of what was going on in order to keep them all safe. If she didn't like it, she could complain about it later.

The thought made Steve chuckle even as he made his way to collect Maddie and Stephanie for the night.

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Steve, Maddie, and Stephanie made their way back to the McGarrett home. Stephanie had wanted to go back to the hospital to visit with Alyssa again, but since her parents had arrived, Maddie convinced her to wait until the next morning in order to allow them some time together. The last day of this modeling job was tomorrow and Stephanie wasn't scheduled to be there until 1:30. It would allow her the chance to sleep in and possibly visit with Alyssa before heading to the next set.

They arrived back at the house. As Steve and Maddie started to talk about dinner, Stephanie said she was tired and just wanted to go to bed.

Steve wasn't buying it. Especially after the conversation with Kono.

"You can eat a little something," Steve said.

"But I'm not hungry." Stephanie countered. "I'm just really tired…..It's been a long day."

"So eat something and then go to bed. No arguments."

Steve didn't even give her a chance to argue. He walked off in the direction of the kitchen as Stephanie gaped at Maddie. Maddie, in turn, wasn't sure what to make of it, but she wasn't going to argue either. She had been worried about Stephanie, so if Steve could get her to eat something, she was happy.

"You heard him, Steph. You can eat a little something and then go to bed. End of discussion."

Stephanie threw up her hands in frustration even though she knew it was childish, "Uuuuuuugh! Are you KIDDING ME, Mom? You're siding with HIM?"

"Yep. So…..get ready for dinner. I'll call you when it's ready."

Stephanie stomped upstairs to her room trying to think of ways to get out of eating…again….with her parents.

In return, Maddie walked into the kitchen to find Steve getting things out of the fridge.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?" she asked him with an eyebrow raised in question.

"Follow me out to the grill," he replied. "We need to talk."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter. I am enjoying seeing Steve as a dad, so I hope you are too. FYI: There is the threat of some domestic discipline in this chapter….but it's only a threat. Nothing more will come of it. Steve just needed to get his point across. ;) As always, please let me know your thoughts!  
**  
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Maddie grabbed a few things herself before following Steve out back. He was firing up the grill for the chicken and veggies she'd had marinating all day as she set the plate of veggies onto the table and walked to stand beside him.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

Steve was uncharacteristically quiet before answering her. "When you came here yesterday, you said you thought Stephanie may be in some sort of trouble. What did you mean by that?"

Maddie put her hands into the pockets of her denim shorts and shrugged, "She's changed lately and I can't shake the feeling that something is going on."

"Like what?"

"That's just it….I don't know for sure. I mean, I know my daughter...and I know it's completely normal for teenage girls to go through mood swings and such, but lately, her mood swings have been almost violent. She can be happy one minute and screaming her head off over nothing the next. It's like she can't control the emotions she's feeling which isn't like her at all. She's also been withdrawn. Anytime I try to talk to her, she just clams up and won't say anything to me. Stephanie and I have always been close…..I guess partially because we've only had _each other_ all these years…..but lately, she's been guarded and closed off."

"What about eating? Do you see her eating….or do you ever have meals together?" Steve asked.

Maddie let out a sigh, "Sometimes. But it's rare. It seems she always has things to do with her friends. She leaves for school early in the morning and I'm always rushing to get ready for work too. Then, when I get a chance to make dinner, she says she has homework to do, or she needs to meet someone…..Stuff like that. We do have dinner together every now and then, but it seems to be getting more infrequent all the time."

Steve didn't like the sound of that; especially in light of what Kono had shared with him and what they had heard about Alyssa's problems today. Not to mention, he remembered Maddie telling him earlier that Stephanie had lost weight recently.

"You said she's been losing weight too, right?"

Maddie shook her head agreeably.

"Have you looked to see if she had any medications in her room? Or in her purse or bags?"

"You mean like drugs?" Maddie asked in surprise.

"_Yes_, like drugs. Anything she shouldn't have like diet pills or narcotics like what we found with Alyssa today." Steve answered.

"She wouldn't do that, Steve. I know her well enough to know that much! She's a good girl." Maddie was getting angry at the insinuations, but Steve knew it had to be dealt with.

"I didn't say she _wasn't_ a good kid, Maddie." Steve's voice was gentle but insistent, "And I know you want to believe that Stephanie wouldn't take prescription drugs, but after what we saw today with Alyssa, how can you be so sure? Mood swings are a common side effect of diet pills. And if she's withdrawing from you, she's hiding something. Plus, she's losing weight when she doesn't need to do so. "

Steve took a deep breath before telling her the next part, "Kono caught her twice today making herself sick. That's something else we can't ignore."

"Are you sure?" Maddie was horrified at the thought.

"Yes...she's sure."

Maddie's bottom lip trembled and she was afraid to speak for fear of crying. Steve reached out to rub his hand down her arm, "So answer my question. _Have you looked_ in her things to see if you could find any drugs or medications she shouldn't have?"

Maddie shook her head, "No." she whispered.

"Okay, then _that's_ where we start." Steve said resolutely.

"We can't just go through her things!"

"Sure we can. We're her parents. This isn't a matter of privacy, Maddie. It's a matter of protecting her from something that could hurt her…..or even kill her."

Maddie flinched at his words even though she knew he was right.

"Do you trust me?" Steve asked her softly.

Maddie didn't answer right away, so Steve reached his fingers up to tip her chin up to look at him. "Look at me, babe." When she moved her eyes up to look at him, he asked again, "Do you _trust me?_"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then I need you to trust me _**now**_….Follow my lead." Steve didn't explain any further. He just took her hand and led her into the house to stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Steph…." He called out.

"Yeah?" she called back down.

"Come here for a sec. And bring your purse."

"What?" she squeaked.

"Bring your purse." When he didn't hear any movement, he added, " You've got ten seconds or I'm coming up."

It only took a few seconds before Stephanie was standing at the top of the stairs with her bag thrown over her shoulder. "What is it?" she asked.

Steve motioned for her to walk down. "Come here. We need to talk."

She didn't move right away, so Steve tried again, "Or, I can come up and get you. You probably don't want me to do that."

Stephanie had the good sense to know he meant business by the look on his face. She walked tentatively down the steps until she reached the bottom. Steve let go of Maddie's hand to take Stephanie's and lead her into the dining room before pointing towards the dining room table.

"Dump it out." He commanded.

"What?" Stephanie looked from Steve to Maddie…..and back to Steve again.

"Empty it. We want to see what's in your bag." He said.

Stephanie cast a nervous glance towards Maddie only to find that her Mom had the same resolute look as Steve.

"You can't do this!" She screamed.

"Yes we can, Steph." Maddie replied. "Do what he says."

Stephanie looked back towards Steve. He quirked an eyebrow at her. He didn't have to say another word for her to get the message that he was not backing down. Steve had used this tactic countless times on suspects, so he sure as heck could use it on his daughter if needed. He was experienced in reading people. It was part of his job to know when someone was lying…or scared…or feeling trapped. Right now, his gut told him that Stephanie was feeling trapped. She didn't want them to see what was in her bag which was all the more reason for them to do so.

"**Now**." Maddie demanded.

Stephanie stepped reluctantly towards the table and turned her bag upside down to get everything out. Amidst the predictable array of make-up items, a wallet, cell phone and gum, there was also a package of medication and an unmarked prescription bottle. Steve moved over to pick them up. As Kono had said, there was a box of over-the-counter diet medication. Since the prescription bottle was not marked, Steve held it up towards Stephanie.

"What is this?" he asked.

Stephanie crossed her arms definitely in front of her and didn't answer.

Steve stepped towards her so that he was standing right in front of her. "Answer me, young lady. I can open up the bottle and probably figure it out, but I'd rather you tell me. What is it?"

Stephanie shuffled her foot nervously, "Percocet."

"Percocet?" Maddie exclaimed, "Why in the hell do you need Percocet?!"

Stephanie's eyes flashed with anger as she turned towards her mom, "They make me _feel_ good. And before you ask…." She stopped to look at Maddie hoping to find some support, "I _**need**_ the diet pills."

"Why is that?" Steve asked.

"You don't understand the _**pressure**_ I'm under!" she wailed, "If I don't look a certain way or weigh a certain amount, I could lose jobs. They won't call me for any other jobs if I get fat …..so I _need _those pills!"

"No, you don't." Steve commented. "And it stops now. Understand me?"

Stephanie looked defeated and defiant at the same time, but she didn't say anything.

He held up the bottle of prescription pills, "Is this the only bottle you have?"

Knowing she was already in a heap of trouble, Stephanie's mind was whirling as to how to get out of this mess. She decided to lie, "Yes. That's all I have."

Steve wasn't convinced. "So if I walk up to your room right now, I won't find any more. Right?"

Stephanie stood silently in front of them not answering. After a few tense seconds, Steve spoke again, "Go get everything else you have and bring it to me right now."

Stephanie all but stomped upstairs but returned pretty quickly with another bottle in her hand. She handed it over to Steve as Maddie stood with wide eyed shock on her face.

"Now for my next question." Steve asked, "Where did you get them?"

Stephanie's eyes shot up in surprise, "You don't honestly expect me to tell you _who gave them to me_?!"

"Yes….actually I do. These are prescription medications which are illegal to have without a doctor's order. Unless you've had some surgery recently that your mom doesn't know about, you have no business taking them. And I swear, if you _**don't**_ tell me who gave them to you, I'm going to put you over my knee and spank your ass until you do."

_Seriously?_ Stephanie had never been threatened like that before. _I mean, seriously?_

She looked towards Maddie again, but her hopes for 'back-up' were quickly shot down when Maddie sided with Steve again. Maddie's arms were crossed over her chest as well, "You heard him, Steph. Tell us where you got them or else."

"God, you guys are SO UNFAIR!"

Steve let out a frustrated sigh before turning towards Maddie, "I've had enough, Maddie."

Then Stephanie watched Steve pull out one of the dining room chairs and was actually afraid he might follow through on his threat. When he reached out to grab her arm, she finally gave in, "Okay, Fine!" she shouted. Then her voice grew quiet. "I got them from Tristan." She admitted quietly.

"Tristan Bishop?" Steve asked.

"Yes…he gives them to us."

Steve was almost afraid to ask, "In exchange for what?"

Stephanie swallowed visibly, "Nothing from me yet. I mean, he said the first batch was a freebie."

Maddie wanted to scream. Or cry. Or scream and cry at the same time. How had this happened right under her nose?

Steve looked at Stephanie knowingly, "But that's not the case for Alyssa, right? What has he asked from her?"

A tear started to slip down Stephanie's cheek, "He wants to take pictures. Unlicensed pictures that he can sell under the table."

Maddie was almost afraid to ask, "Nude pictures?"

Stephanie suddenly looked exhausted as she sat down in the chair Steve had pulled out from the dining room table. "I don't know, Mom. I swear I don't. But a couple of the girls have said some of the pictures he took made them uncomfortable. And Jasmine said she completely forgot about one session…..She saw pictures but didn't remember posing for them."

Steve sighed, "Okay. There's nothing else we can do tonight." He looked towards Maddie, "We'll get on this in the morning. I want to talk to Tristan and any of the other girls who may have been involved. You probably need to go with Stephanie tomorrow and stay with her all day."

"I agree." Maddie said.

"But mom!" Stephanie started before Maddie interrupted.

"No 'buts', young lady. You have one more day of shooting and that's it. After that, we're going to have to seriously think about letting you do any more modeling if this is what is going to happen."

Maddie walked over to the table where the contents of Stephanie's purse were still laid out and picked up the cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Stephanie fumed.

"I'm taking your phone. You'll get it back eventually. For now, it's mine."

"So what am I supposed to do now?"

Steve answered softly, "Come outside and have dinner with us. I'm getting ready to put everything on the grill."

"I'm not hungry." She pouted but Steve wouldn't be deterred.

He gently grabbed her arm to stand her up and walk out to the lanai. "You're going to eat anyway."

Stephanie slumped into one of the chairs and continued to sulk. Every now and then, an errant tear would slip from her eyes and she would quickly wipe it away. Maddie was grateful for the 'united front' she was able to have with Steve in dealing with Stephanie on this issue. If she'd had to deal with it on her own, it would have been so much harder. Having Steve's strength with her made it easier.

_This is how it should be_, she thought hopefully.

Once dinner was prepared and the threesome sat down to eat, Stephanie remained quiet. Steve and Maddie mostly ignored her mood as they shared small talk and good conversation. After dinner, they made their way into the living room to see if there was anything on tv worth watching. Steve sat on the couch with his arm around Maddie as they looked through the preview guide. Stephanie started to walk upstairs.

"Where are you going?" he asked without taking his eyes off of the screen.

"I have to pee. Do you mind?" She replied smartly.

Steve ignored the sarcasm as he turned to her, "Use the bathroom down here." He pointed towards the half bath that was situated in the hall between the kitchen and living room. "And keep the door open."

"Are you friggin' kidding me?"

"Nope. I'm not going to let you go upstairs to throw up the food you just ate, so use the bathroom down here if you have to go."

Stephanie huffed for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, but rather than walking towards the bathroom, she came back to sit in the recliner and sulk…..again. Steve couldn't hide the small smile that played on his lips as she did so. He gave Maddie's shoulder a supportive squeeze.

She may have been in this alone for fifteen years, but things were going to change now.

_If she would let him_, he thought hopefully.

.


	14. Chapter 14

Several hours later, Steve was still wide awake on the couch as Maddie and Stephanie slept upstairs. He had flipped through the television hoping that an infomercial or **_something_** would help him go to sleep, but had no such luck. So many things had changed in his life over the last couple of days and sleep was evading him. As he tossed over onto his side again, he thought he heard movement upstairs. He opened his eyes to see Maddie quietly making her way down the steps. Once she reached the bottom, she glanced in his direction but assumed he was asleep and tiptoed outside. When she didn't return after a few minutes, he decided to check on her. There's was no sense lying there when he couldn't sleep anyway.

He stepped out back and found Maddie sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs facing the ocean. Trying not to startle her, he pulled up another chair beside her and sat down.

"Hey."

She turned towards him apologetically, "I'm sorry. Did I wake you? I was trying to be quiet."

"No, I wasn't sleeping either." He reached over to stroke her arm, "Are you okay?"

Maddie let out a shaky breath, "Not really."

Steve stood up and reached a hand out to her. "Come here." He pulled her up into his arms and held her close. Maddie's body was rigid as she fought to control the emotions he knew were right under the surface.

"Tell me what's wrong." He demanded quietly.

Steve heard her sniff. "How could I have missed this?" She began. "I mean, how is it possible that I misread all of the signs of what she was getting involved in? What kind of mother **am I**?"

Steve pushed her back gently so he could look at her, "Stop it. You're a _great _mom, Maddie. It's easy to miss things when you see someone every day. Besides, who wants to believe something like this with their own child? The good news is that we found out before things went too far."

"But what if we _wouldn't_ have found out? Oh my, God…What if this Tristan guy had taken pictures of my baby and sold them and…..."

Steve stopped to take her face into his hands forcing her to look at him, "But he _didn't_. And he **_won't_**…..not with Stephanie or any other girls ever again. I'll make sure of that."

Steve pulled her to him again and enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms. He had missed so much about her over the years. Even **holding** her. As teenagers, they had spent many nights together at their "special place" at the beach talking about their dreams, their wishes, and how much they loved each other. He had always felt more comfortable with Maddie than anyone else in his life. They could tell each other anything.

Losing her like he did had been a blow….but now that she was back, the feelings were back as well. After 16 years, Steve realized his feelings for Maddie had come back like a tidal wave as soon as he'd opened his door to find her standing there. Quite frankly, the intensity of his feelings after so many years had startled him.

But there was no denying them. His Maddie was back and he never wanted her to leave again.

Feeling the need to reassure her, he kissed the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her citrus shampoo, "You aren't alone anymore, Maddie. I'm here with you."

Steve felt Maddie's hold on him tighten as her body began to shake with tears.

"Please don't cry, honey," he all but begged her, "You know I hate it when you cry."

"But how? After all I've done…how could you ever trust me again? I lied to you for years, Steve! I kept Stephanie from you…..and then we show up on your doorstep and drop all of this trouble on your lap…"

Steve was finished listening to her go on, so he decided to stop her the only way he knew how. He took her chin in his hands, tilted it up, and leaned down to kiss her. After kissing her breathless, he pulled away for just a second, "Shhhh. Everything's going to be okay."

He kissed her again and it wasn't long before Steve's intention of quieting and comforting her turned hungry.

He was afraid of moving too fast. After all, she'd only just returned yesterday…..but he _wanted her_ all the same. When Maddie put her arms around him and sighed as she pulled him closer, Steve struggled between being respectable or taking her up to bed.

His bed.

His bed…..where they could be together instead of him sleeping restlessly on the couch and thinking about her every second. They made out like teenagers, shamelessly and on the verge of losing control…before Steve pulled away.

He rested his forehead against hers and exhaled, "Ummmm…..maybe….maybe we should stop."

_Stop? Hell no, we aren't going to __**stop**_, Maddie thought. "Why would you want to do that?" she asked her voice full of frustration.

"I don't want you to regret anything." Steve said.

"How could I _regret_ it? I've missed you for sixteen years, Steve McGarrett. In my heart, there has never been anyone but _you_." she whispered before standing on tiptoes to kiss him again.

Steve's hands wandered downward until they found her backside. He'd always loved Maddie's ass and the way it fit his hands so perfectly. He lifted her up effortlessly as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Before they made their way back into the house, he broke away to search her eyes. It felt as if he was peering into her soul.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Completely sure." She answered.

Any lingering doubt Steve may have been feeling were erased as she leaned in to kiss him deeply. They made their way into the house and upstairs. Steve didn't let go of Maddie as he quietly closed the door and laid her down on his bed.

He could hardly believe that he had his "Maddie Girl" back. And after so many years of wondering about her and dreaming of her, he was damn sure going to make this memorable.

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Stephanie woke up early the next morning even though she knew she didn't have to be to the set until later.

_Why was it I always woke up early when I have the opportunity to sleep in?_ she thought in frustration.

She made her way out into the hallway to take a shower, but decided to go downstairs and start some coffee first. Maybe that would win her some points with her parents and they wouldn't be so pissed about last night. She still couldn't believe Steve had threatened to spank her. Holy cow, that had scared the ever living crap out of her. If that's what it meant to have a dad, she would walk the straight and narrow from now on.

Or at least_ try. _

And speaking of her parents, the thought that she finally had _both_ of them in her life was still taking some adjustment. But, she loved it. She'd always wanted to know her dad…..and even though Steve McGarrett was proving to be somewhat of a hard ass, she could already tell he cared about her. He was a good guy. Steve's alpha-male, always-in-control, don't-argue-with-me personality might drive her crazy, but she felt a kinship with him. Stephanie knew she was a lot like her dad. They looked alike, but they also _acted_ alike. She couldn't explain it, but she felt connected to him even if it had only been a couple of days since he'd come into her life. It was like a missing piece of her had been found and she felt much more secure than she'd ever felt before.

She started to tiptoe down the stairs and didn't see Steve on the couch. _Hmmmm, weird_, she thought. She went into the kitchen to start the coffee and looked to see if he was possibly outside on a "run" like he'd been the morning before. When she didn't see him, she assumed he may be further down the beach. The man seemed to be like a machine and was big on routine and staying in shape.

Maybe he could help her with that, she thought as she got the coffee going.

Stephanie was making her way back upstairs to take a shower when she saw the door to Steve's bedroom open…..but instead of seeing her Mom come out, she saw Steve.

She stopped in her tracks.

_**Oh….My….Gosh.**_

Steve turned to see the wide eyed teenager looking up at him with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity on her face. He decided to try and lighten the moment. Not that Steve felt awkward in the least. Actually he felt pretty freaking great, but he didn't want Stephanie to feel weird at this turn of events.

"Good morning." Steve began. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Uh…..yeah…..Really well actually. I mean…..considering how much trouble I'm in." She looked embarrassed as she shifted her feet on the steps and motioned downstairs. "Ummmmm….I started coffee."

"Great, thanks." Steve answered, "I'm going for a run. Wanna join me?" he offered her a pleasant smile that erased any doubt she had about him still being mad at her.

"Maybe next time?" she asked hopefully as she offered him a smile of her own.

"Sure." Steve answered, "How about if we make breakfast together when I get back before your Mom wakes up? I'll try not to be long, okay?"

Steve knew it was uncomfortable to see him coming out of Maddie's room, but the truth was he wasn't about to let Maddie go now that he had her back. He may have loved her as a seventeen year old boy, but that was nothing compared to what they had shared the night before. They were adults now….which meant they were much more 'experienced'. Her body had been so responsive to him and changed in ways he wanted to explore endlessly.

Last night was great.

Fantastic actually.

Steve was nowhere through exploring with Maddie.

He wanted her back for good. _And_ he wanted Stephanie in his life. He was well on his way to making sure that happened. Therefore, he reasoned that Steph would just have to get accustomed to seeing him and Maddie in the same bedroom. Last night sure as hell wasn't the last time that was going to happen if he had anything to say about it.

"Okay. That sounds good. Mom would like that." Stephanie said quietly, but a smile was playing on her lips. Then she looked at him curiously before casting her eyes towards the bedroom door, "So you and Mom…."

Steve cut her off by stepping down to meet her on the stairs. He tapped her nose with his finger playfully, "Hush. Don't embarrass her. I'll be back in a little while."

And with that, he made his way down the stairs to go for a quick run.

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Maddie began to stir. She stretched, let out a contented sigh, and reached towards the pillow beside her. She was disappointed to find it was empty. Her mind began replaying the night before and all of the fun she and Steve had had together. It was like a dream; But, although she had fantasized quite a bit over the years of what it would be like to be with Steve again, none of those fantasies had held a candle to the reality of actually being with him again.

She was disappointed to wake up and find him gone. She wanted to curl up onto his chest, breathe in his scent, and 'cuddle' for a little bit. Then, the smell of coffee and bacon woke her up a little more. She propped herself up on her elbows as she stared at the door. Something was going on downstairs. She made her way into Steve's bathroom for a quick shower before dressing in shorts and a tank top and making her way downstairs.

Maddie walked into the kitchen to find Steve making eggs and bacon while Stephanie worked on making toast and cutting up some fruit and placing it into a bowl. Steve sensed her coming in and turned to smile in her direction. Her hair was still wet and hung in ringlets around her shoulders as she looked at the two of them quizzically. In his opinion, she looked adorable…..and gorgeous…and _sexy_. He had to fight the urge to walk over to her and take her to bed….again.

But that wasn't really feasible at the moment. Because, "their" teenage daughter was standing nearby watching everything. Not to mention the fact that he had to go in to work.

However…had it not been for those two hurdles, he would have totally taken her upstairs for a repeat performance of the night before.

There would be time for that, he told himself. Making love to Maddie and making up for lost time was going to be a priority on his "To Do" list!

Maddie noticed the glint in his eyes and smiled back at him shyly.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

Stephanie turned in her direction as well, "Morning, Momma!"

"Hey sweetie." Maddie beamed at her daughter before turning her attention towards Steve, "Ummm…..Yes, thank you. I slept like a rock. Probably better than I've slept in a long time."

Steve's eyes sparkled with interest. The heat between them wasn't missed by Stephanie, and although she had always dreamed of having her parents together, seeing it played out in front of her creeped her out just a bit.

"Ewww….You two need to get a room….preferably AFTER I'm at work. Please."

The sound of Steve's laughter was music to both Maddie and Stephanie's ears. From what they had witnessed so far, Steve McGarrett was far too serious most of the time.

He stepped over to pull Stephanie in for a quick hug before kissing the top of her head. "Get use to it, kiddo. It's pretty certain I'm not letting go of my girls ever again."

Stephanie and Maddie both felt lumps of emotion in their throats.

'His girls'.

They both wanted that to be a reality.

Then, he walked towards Maddie so he could pull her in for a hug and kiss. Right about that time, they heard the front door open and Steve heard a familiar voice.

"Yo! I smell coffee…and breakfast."


	15. Chapter 15

Danny walked into the kitchen with Grace close behind. He sniffed the air appreciatively before grinning in Maddie's direction, "Okay. I for one am glad you're here. I usually get coffee…..sometimes. But breakfast is an added bonus." Maddie giggled as Danny went to her for a quick hug before turning his attention towards Steve, "So what's for breakfast?"

Steve kept a straight face, "Did I invite you to breakfast, Danno? I mean, Gracie is welcome anytime…..but did I invite _you_?"

Danny's hand went over his heart as if he were wounded, "Ouch. You hurt me with your sarcasm…..but I know you love me. SO, like I said, what's for breakfast?"

Steve let out an exaggerated sigh before smiling good-naturedly at his partner, "Eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, juice, and coffee. So I take it you're joining us?"

Danny answered by pulling plates out of the cabinet. "Yes, we're staying for breakfast!" Then he headed towards the lanai without another word.

Grace smiled at her Uncle Steve before walking to him for a hug. "Can I do anything to help?" she asked.

"You can get the silverware out, I guess." Steve answered.

While she was gathering the forks, spoons, and butter knives, Steve introduced her to Maddie and Stephanie. He could tell by the look on her face that Danny had told her a little of the situation because she didn't seem surprised to meet Maddie or "Steve's daughter"; In fact, she seemed very happy about it.

Grace smiled warmly at Stephanie when they were introduced, "It's great to meet you," she said, "I can't believe Uncle Steve has a daughter. That's so cool! And you're here modeling? I would love to do that, but Danno would have a fit, I think."

Steve was finishing up the scrambled eggs, and even though he didn't turn away from the stove, he piped in with his opinion, "Uncle Steve probably wouldn't like it either. And I don't know that I'm happy with_ Stephanie_ doing it…..but we'll see."

He grinned over his shoulder at the girls before putting the eggs into a bowl and handing them to Maddie. "Can you take these outside, babe? I'll bring everything else out in a sec." He leaned down to kiss her softly before she made her way outside behind Stephanie and Grace. A couple minutes later, Steve came out with a plate of bacon so the five of them could sit down to breakfast before starting the undoubtedly crazy day they had ahead of them.

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_Two hours later….._

Although Grace was supposed to go back to her Mom's after spending the previous night with her dad, she had begged both of her parents to let her hang out with Stephanie and Maddie for the day at the photo shoot. Knowing her daughters love of fashion, Rachel had agreed and Danny eventually gave in. He didn't like the idea of her being on the set since they were investigating foul play, but Maddie assured Danny that she would keep an eye on Grace.

Stephanie was getting ready for her first session of the day with Maddie and Grace at her side. Grace was fascinated with the whole process of picking out the outfits Stephanie would wear that day and following her to the makeup trailer to get her face and hair done.

Maddie, however, watched with a skeptical eye. Knowing that someone was somehow coercing the girls into doing things they were not aware of caused her "mother bear instinct" to go on full alert.

By early afternoon, Steve and Danny showed up to question Tristan and found the young man less than cooperative. Steve was nothing if not intimidating, however, and it wasn't long before Tristan decided it would be in his best interest to talk. Finding out that Steve McGarrett was not only a police officer….of sorts….but also Stephanie's dad caused him to re-evaluate his situation and decide it was best to talk.

A little.

Tristan finally admitted to supplying drugs to some of the girls and taking pictures of them in somewhat compromising positions. However, that was the extent of his cooperation. He refused to tell them who his supplier was or what was done with the pictures after they were taken. He also denied having done anything to Alyssa to cause the bruising they had seen. That seemed to coincide with what Alyssa had said as well.

Steve had every intention of charging Tristan with drug trafficking, but wanted more. He and Danny agreed that there was definitely more to be uncovered. Something else was going on and Tristan didn't seem bright enough to come up with it on his own. They feared that he was just the puppet…..working for someone else who had much more devious plans in mind…and they wanted to know who was pulling the strings. And why. They weren't going to give up until they found out what was going on.

They decided to let him go for the moment but gave a stern warning in case he had any thoughts of leaving the island.

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Steve and Danny walked into the trailer where Stephanie was finishing up before her next shoot. They walked in and found her dressed in a gown, make-up, and hair that made her look much older than her 15 years. Noticing the stunned look on both of their faces as they walked in, Maddie turned to smile at Steve.

"Doesn't she look beautiful?" she asked.

Steve found that he couldn't speak at the moment.

"Yes, she does." Danny replied. "Very beautiful."

Stephanie blushed at the compliment before casting a look towards Steve. Sensing that she wanted his approval too, he offered her a small smile, "You look gorgeous." He said.

The door to the trailer opened as one of the production assistants stepped inside to take her to the set. As Stephanie was led away, Steve motioned for Maddie to stay behind so they could talk before she joined Stephanie again. Grace wanted to go along with Stephanie, but Danny told her to wait and go with Maddie.

The men told Maddie what they had found out from Tristan….which didn't amount to much. Maddie was frustrated at first that they hadn't arrested him for his part in this fiasco, but then understood what they were trying to do. Steve assured her that an arrest would come, but first they needed to find out what else was going on.

As they continued to talk about their plans, the door to the dressing trailer opened again and another production assistant stepped inside looking for Stephanie.

Maddie looked at her curiously, "Someone came to get her 15 minutes ago and took her to the set."

"Well, she isn't there, and Christoph is getting impatient."

"What do you mean, she isn't there? Where could she be?"

"I don't know," the young woman said, "But she needs to get over there asap. Christoph sent me to find her."

Maddie felt her heart drop as every "worst case scenario" began to play out in her head. What had happened to her daughter?

Steve and Danny jumped into action and immediately left in search of her. After what seemed like an eternity, they realized she was no longer there. Fear began to grip Steve as he realized something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Stephanie was gone.

Fortunately, the set did have security cameras set up. Kono began reviewing the tapes to see if there was any footage of what may have happened or who had taken Stephanie. In the meantime, Danny, Grover, and Chin questioned everyone on the set to see if anyone had seen Stephanie leave. Steve stayed with Maddie and tried to calm her down. As worried as he was about the situation, he knew they needed to keep their heads clear if they were to get her back. Steve wouldn't even allow himself to think of the alternative.

Steve held Maddie close and felt her body shaking in fear, "I'll get her back, Maddie. I promise. Everything is going to be okay."

"You don't know that!" she cried. "Someone _took _our daughter! But why? I don't understand why?!"

Steve rubbed his hand up and down her back soothingly as he continued to hold her, "I don't know. But I'm going to find out…..and when I do, I'm going to kill the bastard."

Hearing the venom in Steve's voice, Maddie felt a strange sense of security. If anyone could get their daughter back, it would be Steve. She just hoped nothing bad happened in the meantime.

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_Several hours later….._

Everyone was getting frustrated at the lack of information they'd been able to find on Stephanie's whereabouts. No one at the set had seen anything, but one security tape did show Stephanie being put into a dark colored SUV. A run of the license plate had come back as a stolen plate from another car which didn't help them at all. They basically had a description of the vehicle she was taken in which could match a couple hundred like vehicles on the island.

Steve's phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID on his phone and immediately recognized Stephanie's number. "It's her!" he said causing everyone to look his direction before he answered the call. Maddie ran to his side to try and hear the conversation anxious for any word from her daughter.

"Stephanie? Where are you?" Steve asked.

"She's with me," Answered an unfamiliar voice, the sound of which practically made Steve's heart stop. "If you want to see her again," he continued, "you need to do as I say. _Exactly_ as I say. Do you understand?"

Steve cast an alarmed look in Chin's direction and noted that the man was already trying to get a trace on Stephanie's phone to see if they could pin her location before losing the call.

"If you hurt one hair on her head, I swear to God, I will rip your heart out with my bare hands. Do you understand me?" Steve growled.

The man chuckled humorlessly, "Do not threaten me, Commander McGarrett. I am the one in control here…..not you. Now are you going to cooperate with me or not?"

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat, "Let me talk to Stephanie first…..Then, we'll talk."

The man hesitated.

"Listen to me, you son of a bitch. If you want my help, you need to let me talk to her so I can be assured she is ok. Then, the only way I will help you is if she _stays _that way until I get her back. One scratch, one bruise, or anything else and I will _kill_ you. Do you understand?"

"Fine," came the terse reply, "I'll let you talk to her…..briefly."

After a few tense moments, Steve heard Stephanie's voice on the other line, "Daddy?" she said tearfully and Steve's heart literally twisted inside his chest. It was only the second time she had called him anything but "Steve" and it was enough to break his heart. How the hell was he going to keep focused with that in his head? He would die to protect her, he knew that…..and the anger rising in his chest was unlike anything he'd felt before. He knew he had a job to do, though, so he took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"Yeah, sweetie….I'm here. Are you okay? Has he hurt you?"

Stephanie sniffed, "I'm okay. But, I want to come home."

The only time he'd ever felt this helpless was when a similar call had come from his dad. A call that hadn't ended well. Feeling the same desperation, Steve determined that the outcome would be different this time. He would not lose her, "I know, baby. I'm coming for you…..and I swear I'm going to make him pay for this."

Steve heard the man in the background demanding the phone back, but Stephanie had one more thing to say first. "I love you…..and tell Mom I love her too."

"I love you, too. I'm coming for you….I promise." Steve choked out.

Steve heard some shuffling on the other line before the man's voice came over again, "Well, isn't that sweet?" he said sarcastically. "Now…..are you ready to deal, Commander?"


	16. Chapter 16

"What do you want?" Steve growled.

"It is actually very simple, Commander McGarrett. I want to be left alone. Taking your daughter was insurance that that would happen."

Steve had no intention of letting this SOB get away with what he'd done; Especially now that he had kidnapped Stephanie in addition to drugging, photographing, and possibly raping his victims without their knowledge.

But he couldn't let the man know that.

"Okay, so I'll ask you again. _What do you want_?" Steve asked.

"I want a guarantee that you will let me off of this island…..without any trouble. I will only return your daughter if you agree not to prosecute or pursue this any longer. I will leave and there will be no further problems."

_Was he serious?_ Steve couldn't believe his gall. The man had been providing narcotics and other drugs to underage girls and taking pictures of them without their knowledge. Now he had kidnapped Stephanie as some sort of insurance policy that he would be let off without any repercussions? Steve decided to second guess his initial opinion that the "master mind" behind all of this must be dangerous. This man obviously wasn't too bright and wasn't a career criminal, so Steve decided to use that to his advantage.

"Fine. I'll give you whatever you want as long as you bring my daughter back to me….unharmed. Where can we meet?"

Maddie and Danny looked at him questioningly. What was going on? Steve could only offer him an encouraging look…..Or at least what he _hoped_ was an encouraging look.

He had this under control.

"I'll call you in four hours and let you know the plan."

"Why can't we meet sooner?"

"Four hours, Commander. If I were you, I wouldn't miss the call. Understand?"

Steve couldn't wait to get his hands on this guy. He would most likely forget he wore a badge when that happened, but the consequences would be worth it. He barely had his anger under control as it was. "Yeah, I understand." Steve answered. "But just so _you _understand, I _will_ come after you if she has so much as a scratch on her. Do you understand me?"

"I'll be in touch." And with that, the call ended.

Maddie looked at Steve expectantly and saw an unsettling mixture of fear, uncertainty and anger in his eyes. Steve knew she wanted reassurance that everything would be okay. He had every intention of getting Stephanie back, but there were no guarantees it would be an easy ride. It scared the hell out of him but he didn't want Maddie to sense any of that from him. The problem was that she was so damn perceptive and knew him well enough that he doubted he was hiding any of it from her.

He took Maddie's hand and started leading her towards his office before looking at his team, "Give us a minute." After he closed his office door, he pulled her into his arms. Maddie wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him fiercely. He felt her body shaking as he held her and willed himself to hold back his own fear. He pulled away so he could take her face into his hands forcing her to look at him, "I know you're scared, babe, but it's going to be okay. I promise."

Tears filled her eyes effectively breaking Steve's heart. "You don't know that for sure," she whispered.

Steve took both of her hands into his and took in a deep breath, "I'm going to tell you something very few people know. In fact, I don't think I've even shared this with Chin, Kono, Lou…..or even Danny. When I was an active SEAL, wanna know what my team's specialty was?"

The emotions were causing a lump in Maddie's throat as she choked back a sob. Rather than speaking, she just shook her head affirmatively so he would continue.

"We were called in for extractions; Highly volatile kidnappings in South America, North Korea, Somalia and everywhere in between. We found people who were completely off the map, honey…..People no one else could find…..and we brought them home. " He saw Maddie stiffen and knew what she was thinking, so he took her face into his hands again, "I know what you're thinking: This is different because it's _our daughter_, but I want you to trust me. I'm going to bring her home."

They spent just a couple more minutes holding each other as Maddie drew strength from Steve. When they came back out to join everyone else around the smart table, Steve addressed Kono first.

"Did you get a trace on Steph's cell?"

"I was able to get the general location but not an exact one." She pulled up a map showing the team the area the call had most likely come from. The problem was that it was an area consisting of large hotels, restaurants, and retail stores. That meant it was also highly populated and busy. "He could have her _anywhere _in this area. It's a small radius but since it's so highly populated, it could be hard to pinpoint exactly where he has her."

Steve let out a frustrated sigh as he let go of Maddie's hand to step towards the smart table. Maddie watched as his face turned back to what she recognized as "Commander Mode". He was fierce and extremely intimidating when he was in this frame of mind and she drew strength from it.

He addressed the team, "Okay….He gave us four hours until he calls back, but I'd like to find him before the next call….So let's go with what we have."

"What do you want us to do?" Danny asked.

"First, I want all of the airports contacted, especially the smaller ones, to find out who is chartering out private planes in the next couple of days. That's the easiest way off the island, so I want to cover that base first. I want the names of everyone on the schedules so we can check ID's, pull backgrounds, and everything else."

"I'm on it, Boss." Kono said as she started moving towards her office.

Steve looked at Lou and Chin, "We need to have another chat with Tristan Bishop. He didn't want to offer anything up before, and we let that slide. Now, I'm through playing games. I want to know who his contact is….How they meet….How they exchange money….ALL of it…..and I don't care what you have to do to get the information from him. He's going to give us _something_ so we can find the SOB who has my daughter or we will nail _his_ ass to the wall with everything we've got."

"We've got it covered, buddy," Lou stated as he and Chin started to make their way out of the office.

Then he looked at Danny, "You and I are going to talk bring Diana Reynolds in. I could be wrong, but my gut tells me she knows something too. As close as she is to these girls, I'm not buying that she's completely clueless about what is going on."

Danny agreed, but as per the norm, he had a question, "Okay, I agree with you on that point, but since we don't have any proof that she is involved, why don't we talk to her at her hotel rather than bringing her in here?"

"Because bringing her in _here_ is more intimidating. I want her to know we aren't pulling any punches. If she knows something, we'll scare the hell out of her until she tells us what she knows. Period."

Seeing the fierce determination in Steve's eyes, Maddie almost felt sorry for her. Not totally, but almost. If this woman knew what had happened to her baby girl, she had no doubt Steve and Danny would get it out of her.

With the team all working on their assignments, he turned towards Maddie, "I want you to stay here. Okay? We'll be back as soon as we can."

"I want to go with you." She pleaded, "I'll go out of my mind if I have to stay here and wait."

Steve gave her a sympathetic smile but didn't budge. "I know, but it's going to be less intimidating if you come with us."

She caught what he was trying to say and reluctantly agreed, "If I go with you, she's just going to see us as Steph's parent. But if you and Danny go alone, she'll see you as cops."

Steve smiled at her insight and leaned down to kiss her. "Exactly. We'll be back as soon as we can. I'll get our girl back."

Then she noticed his expression change as if an idea had come to him, "I'll tell you what you can do to help."

Maddie's eyes widened in anticipation, "Anything! What do you need?"

"I want you to go to the hospital and talk to Alyssa. See if you can get her to tell you anything new….Anything we don't already know about the pictures that were taken of her, or who she may've noticed around. Since you're already a trusted friend of the family, her parents may let you talk to her alone and you may be able to get more information out of her than we could."

Maddie offered him a grateful smile, "Okay….I'm on my way. But if you find anything out about Steph…."

Steve cut her off, "You'll be the first to know, honey. I promise."

She watched as he and Danny left the office before grabbing her purse, the keys to the Marquis, and heading towards the hospital to talk to Alyssa and see what she could find out. At this point, she wasn't above begging the girl for information. She and Stephanie were longtime friends, so Maddie was hoping that Alyssa would be more forthcoming with information once she found out Stephanie had been taken.

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Diana heard a knock on her door and wondered who it could be. They had finished the days shoot and didn't have dinner reservations for another hour. She walked to the door and looked through the security "peep hole" to find Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams. She hesitated to open the door.

"Ms. Reynolds, open the door. We need to talk." Danny commanded.

When a few seconds passed without an answer, Steve chimed in, "Open up, Diana. Otherwise, you'll leave me no choice but to kick in the door, and I'd rather not do that."

Danny looked at him sarcastically, "Subtle. Real subtle."

"Sorry, buddy. I'm tired of playing games….and she may know how to get to my daughter."

Danny looked at him sympathetically just as the door cracked open and Diana peered out nervously.

"You need to come with us, Ms. Reynolds." Steve said. It came out as more of a demand than a request and she couldn't help but balk.

"Am I under arrest?" She sassed and Danny's eyebrows shot up in surprise at her bold tone towards Steve.

"No. Not yet." Steve answered. "We just need to talk….So please come with us so we don't have to make this uncomfortable."

She peered warily towards Danny.

"Like he said, we just need to talk," Danny assured her.

An hour later, Diana found herself sitting alone in a dimly lit room with only one chair as she waited on McGarrett and Williams to come back. She was starting to get frustrated since she had been sitting there for over 20 minutes already. How long were they going to keep her there like a prisoner?

Finally the door opened and the men came in.

Steve didn't waste any time approaching her and standing right before her, "So you'll have to pardon my rudeness, but I'm tired of wasting time. You need to tell me….right now….where do they have my daughter?"

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**I know this chapter is a little short, but I'm getting ready to go out of town and wanted to post what I had before I go. Please LET ME KNOW what you think. **


	17. Chapter 17

Diana ignored his statement and issued a question of her own, "If I'm not under arrest, why have you left me in this hole handcuffed to a chair for half an hour?"

"We've found it to be a good motivator in getting people to tell us the truth." Danny answered. Then he pointed towards Steve, "This guy isn't the most patient person in the world, so it usually moves people along a little more quickly if they're cuffed to the chair."

"Yeah, and my patience is already gone…..So why don't you answer me and tell me where they have my daughter?" Steve's frustration was clearly growing and Danny said a silent prayer that he would hang in there a little longer until they found out what they needed to know from Diana.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, "I don't know where she is."

"You're lying to me!" Steve spat.

"I want a lawyer," she countered.

"Too bad. You aren't getting one until you tell me what I want to know. If that doesn't happen pretty damn soon, I'm walking out of this room and won't be back until sometime tomorrow. We will leave you to sit here and think about it all night while we do what we have to do to get my daughter back."

"You can't do that!" Diana screamed, "I have rights."

Danny couldn't help but smirk. They had heard this same thing countless times over the last several years. "Actually, we can do whatever we want." He interjected, "We have what is called full immunity and means…..which means we can pretty much do anything we want to get the job done. Considering my partner's child is missing, you can forget about getting a lawyer…..or even a bathroom break, for that matter…..until you tell us everything you know."

Steve's phone was vibrating. He looked at the caller ID to see it was Maddie and decided to step out and take the call. He left Danny in the room with Diana.

He stepped out into the hall, "Maddie, are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm okay. I'm with Alyssa at the hospital and she says she may know where they have Stephanie!" Maddie said excitedly.

"Okay, calm down and tell me what she said." Steve instructed.

"She remembers waking up in a hotel room. She doesn't remember how she got there, but when she woke up, she was alone in the room. She looked around and saw stationary and something else in the room with the Hilton logo on it. She said it wasn't long after waking up that she heard someone coming back into the room, so she pretended to still be sleeping."

"Did she see who it was?"

"She said she doesn't know his name, but she'd seen him on the set with Tristan. When he came back into the room, he put something over her mouth that knocked her out again. Next thing she knew, she was waking up at the hospital. This person….whoever he is…..must have somehow taken her back to the set and got her into the trailer unnoticed. That's why Stephanie found her unconscious and couldn't wake her up."

Steve felt his blood begin to boil as his mind raced to come up with a plan. "That's going to help us a lot, Maddie. Let me talk to Danny and we'll figure out how to proceed. Chances are good that he's using the same location and it's probably where he's holding Stephanie."

"Has Diana told you anything yet?" Maddie asked hopefully.

"Not yet, honey, but with this information, I'll be able to get something out of her now."

He hung up with Maddie and went back into the interrogation room. He shared a look with Danny which Danny interpreted to mean he needed to just play along with whatever Steve was getting ready to do.

"So I just had an interesting call." Steve smirked confidently, "We have a witness who says the girls are being drugged and taken to the Hilton." He took a step towards her and leaned down so that his face was mere inches from hers, "The witness also said you are the one helping them get access to the girls since you are in charge of their schedules."

Of course this was a lie, but Steve had learned that lying and supposedly 'implicating' a suspect worked wonders into getting the truth to come out.

"That's not true!" Diana screamed, "I've had nothing to do with drugging them. You have to believe me!"

"Then why do you look so nervous?" Steve asked calmly.

"Because…" Diana's eyes began darting around the room as if looking for what to say, "Because….you're scaring the hell out of me! But you have to believe that I had nothing to do with drugging them. I would never do that!"

"Maybe you didn't drug them, but did you help….in any way…in getting this guy access to them so he could do it? Did you know that he was photographing them without their knowledge and selling pictures?" Danny said, "If you're in charge of their schedules, you have to know _something_."

When she didn't say anything, Steve stood back up to his full height crossed his arms in front of him, "What are they holding over you to keep quiet?"

Her eyes shifted nervously around the room again.

"Look at me." Steve barked. When she turned back towards him, there were tears in her eyes. "Tell us what they are holding over you and we can help you. But I swear to God, if you don't tell me something in the next two minutes, we're leaving. And when we get Stephanie back, you will be charged as an accessory…..and anything else I can come up with in the meantime."

Diana's shoulders slumped in defeat and Steve and Danny both knew they had her.

"They have my sister," she said quietly.

Steve softened just a bit, "Tell me what happened," he demanded softly.

Diana told Steve and Danny that she had received a call prior to coming to Hawaii that her sister, Danielle, had been kidnapped. Danielle was supposed to be on this trip as one of the models, but Diana had been told that she had to cooperate and get them access to the girls if she wanted to see her sister again. Apparently, there was a lot more involved than just drugging the models to take pictures. The pictures were also being viewed by those heavily involved in sex trafficking. Diana had been told her cooperation would save her sister from being sold overseas into a sex trafficking ring and never being found again, so she had felt powerless to do anything but go along with what they demanded.

"What about your parents?" Danny asked.

"Our parents were killed in a car accident five years ago. My sister was 16, so I got custody of her until she turned 18. Since I was involved in the modeling industry, it wasn't long before a photographer noticed her with me one day and she began modeling as well. I just never imagined something like this could happen…" Tears were rolling down her face at this point. Steve understood her plight and decided to cut her some slack. He reached around to unlock her cuffs before leaning down in front of her again.

"I understand. I promise you, I do. I have a sister who was kidnapped once and I did what I had to do to get her back. We can help you, Diana…" He waited on her to look at him before he continued, "We can help you and we will get her back, but you have to help me first. You have to tell me where they are taking the girls and where they probably have Stephanie as well."

Diana then confirmed what Maddie had told him a few minutes prior, "We've been staying at the Hilton. That's where they are."

"What room?" Danny asked.

"I don't know." She said. When Steve and Danny looked at her skeptically, she said, "I swear, I don't. Tristan was the one who would take the girls to them. I swear….I don't know the room or rooms they're in."

Steve looked at Danny, but Danny was one step ahead of him, "I'll call Lou and Chin."

"Tell them to beat it out of him if they have to. I want to know what room these SOB's are in." Steve insisted. Then he turned back towards Diana, "I'm going to take you upstairs where you can stay with Kono. We're going to head to the hotel and hopefully get Stephanie back. I'm also going to get your sister back. I promise."

Diana looked at him tearfully, "I'm so sorry…..I just didn't know what to do. They have my sister."

Steve offered her a small smile, "Come on. I'll take you upstairs."

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Chin called Steve shortly thereafter to tell him Trista had offered up a name, as well as room numbers, for the man responsible. Before they had even hung up the phone, the team was mobilizing and heading towards the Hilton with Maddie following on Steve's heels. She wasn't about to be left behind. HPD was also dispatched for back-up should they need it.

They made it to the hotel in record time, and even though Steve was driving, he barely had the car in "park" before he was exiting and making his way to the trunk for his vest and weapons. Danny was close behind. Grover, Chin, and Kono pulled up shortly thereafter and began suiting up as well. Steve gave strict orders to Maddie to stay in the car until they came back. He didn't want her to get caught in the chaos as they tried to rescue Stephanie. She promised to stay put, and although he wasn't sure if he believed her or not, he had to go with it for now. They were losing time and he wanted to get inside and upstairs as fast as possible.

The team made their way inside behind Steve. Steve spoke with the manager on duty and devised a plan to get them inside the room without being suspicious. Soon after, they walked towards the elevator and rode up to the floor where the suspect was allegedly holding Stephanie. They were fairly certain Tristan had given them the correct information since he'd basically wet his pants when he was told _Steve _would be interrogating him if he fed them false info. It was obvious he didn't want another go-round with "Commander McGarrett", so Steve would bet his life savings Tristan hadn't lied to them about where Stephanie was being held. It gave him hope that he would have her to safety soon.

The elevator opened and they made their way silently down the hall. The door to the hotel room was surrounded as Kono, dressed in a housekeeping uniform, knocked on the door.

"Housekeeping. I have fresh towels for you," she called out.

"You have the wrong room. We didn't order any more towels." A voice from behind the door called out.

"I have the room number on the ticket, sir. Please….You have to sign for the additional towels."

As they had hoped, the door cracked open just a bit and it was enough for Steve to muscle his way through in search of Stephanie. The suspect was quickly taken down and cuffed. Steve was oblivious to everything going on behind him, however. He found Stephanie tied to a chair. Her mouth was gagged, her dress was torn, and her face was streaked with dried tears. He quickly took the gag out of her mouth before untying the ropes on her hands and feet. As soon as she was free, she all but leapt into his arms her body shaking in fear and relief.

"You found me," she cried.

"Shhhhh. You're okay, sweetie. I've gotcha. No one is going to hurt you again." He held her for a few more moments waiting on the tremors to calm down so they could work on getting her back downstairs. In the meantime, Danny called Maddie to let her know they had Stephanie and would be coming out shortly. Maddie begged to come up, but Danny was able to convince her to stay outside until they came back out.

Steve moved to lift Stephanie into his arms and carry her out. To his surprise, she didn't fight him. Instead, she tightened her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. He whispered into her ear, "Keep your eyes closed and your head down, honey. I'm taking you out of here and I don't want you to look at that asshole again. Understand?"

"Yes, daddy," she whispered as Steve made his way out of the room. With Stephanie secured in his arms, he turned around once more before he made his way downstairs to talk to Grover, "Get him to the Palace and hold him until I get there. I'll deal with him when I get back."

"You got it." Grover agreed as Steve made his way down to Maddie.


	18. Chapter 18

Steve carried Stephanie out as he talked to her softly, "Hang on, sweetie. We're almost there. Keep your eyes closed. We'll be back to your Mom soon."

Stephanie clung to him as if her life depended on it. The rage Steve was feeling towards her captor was only softened by the fact that he had his daughter back. His first priority was seeing that Stephanie was cared for. He would deal with the rest later. He continued to talk softly to her as they made their way out of the hotel.

When Steve finally emerged outside, he saw Maddie standing outside of the car, wringing her hands in anticipation of seeing their daughter again. Even though he'd insisted she stay _**inside **_the car, he couldn't fault her for ignoring that and pacing outside. He was actually quite shocked she'd listened to him at all instead of barreling her way inside the hotel to help save their girl. That alone told him she trusted him to handle it and bring Stephanie to safety. Her faith in him meant more to him than Maddie would ever know.

An ambulance was waiting nearby, so Steve made his way quickly to the paramedics who were waiting outside. He place Stephanie onto the gurney as he began to instruct them on what may have happened. Maddie was at his side within seconds checking on Stephanie herself and asking her questions in between kisses to her face.

They were transporting Stephanie to the hospital within minutes even though she insisted nothing "sexual" had taken place during her captivity. Maddie rode with her in the back of the ambulance with Steve following behind. He would have given anything to ride along with her, as well, but he knew she needed Maddie the most at that moment.

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A couple of hours later, Steve and Maddie were happy to learn that Stephanie seemed to only have minor injuries such as a few bruises from having her feet and hands bound to the chair. Upon arriving at the hospital, she had insisted once again that she had not been sexually assaulted which was an immense relief. Therefore, a rape kit was not taken. Steve would have hated for her to be subjected to that, but would have had it done if there had been even a slight suspicion the SOB had taken advantage of his daughter. Although it was a relief to know that her physical injuries were very minor, there was no way of knowing what emotional damage had been done or knowing for sure whether pictures had been taken of her since there were pockets of time she couldn't recall. The doctor in charge of her case assured them that she should be fine even though it would take some time for the drugs to make their way out of her system. She was ordered to rest and recuperate for the next few days. Having dealt with Commander McGarrett on previous cases, the doctor was certain Stephanie would have no choice but to follow her instructions, so she released Stephanie to Steve and Maddie's care.

Maddie and Stephanie left the hospital to return home when Maddie received word that Alyssa had also been released from the hospital into her parents care. They were in the process of returning to Los Angeles where Alyssa would be entering into a rehab facility to deal with her eating disorder. Stephanie was saddened to hear that her friend was in such bad shape and felt naïve at not realizing just how serious things had gotten for Alyssa, but she was also relieved to know she would be getting some help.

As his girls headed home, Steve made his way back to HQ to deal with the man they had taken into custody: Ivan Belitrov was well-known in the sex traffic underworld but had been very difficult to locate or apprehend. Until now. Steve couldn't wait to get his hands on the man who had assaulted his daughter and other girls as well. He only hoped he would be able to keep his temper in check long enough to find out where Diana's sister, Danielle, was being held in order to get her to safety.

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_Meanwhile, back at the McGarrett house…_

Stephanie settled outside on the hammock while Maddie went inside to make them each a sandwich. She decided to give her daughter some time before trying to get her to talk about what had happened. Maddie was relieved for the moment just to have Stephanie back safe and sound and she had Steve to thank for that. How would she ever repay him?

As Maddie worked on the sandwiches, she was surprised to hear the lock on the kitchen door being turned. Was Steve back already? The door opened and a teenage boy started to walk in. He was just as surprised to see Maddie as she was to see him.

A startled expression was on his face as he stopped, "Oh, sorry. I didn't know anyone was here."

"Who are you?" Maddie blurted out before realizing how rude she must sound. He had a _key_, after all, so he was obviously someone Steve trusted.

"Uh…..I'm Nahale," he reached a hand forward to shake her hand as he continued, "Steve is a friend of mine. We….uh…we work on his car…..together. And he…..uh…..he lets me come over whenever I need a place to get away for a while. Um…..sorry…I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't expect anyone to be here."

Maddie took a deep breath before shaking his hand, "It's okay. I didn't mean to sound rude. I'm Maddie…I'm an old friend of Steve's. My daughter and I are visiting for a few days." She decided to leave it at that and not give too many other details at the moment. "I was just making us a sandwich. Would you like one too?"

Nahale shook his head and smiled back at her, "Sure…..That would be great."

"Okay. Give me just a minute and I'll take you out to meet Stephanie." While she worked on another sandwich, she said a silent prayer that Stephanie would welcome meeting someone new after what she had just been through. Stephanie may want to be alone for a while, but Maddie didn't feel right asking Nahale to leave. Something in his eyes told her there was more to "his story", as well, and Steve's home must be a sanctuary for him. Her intuition told her it would be best to let him stay rather than asking him to leave. Maddie reasoned that it may actually _help_ Stephanie to be with someone her age right now. Since he was someone Steve trusted enough to give a key to his house, maybe the two of them could become friends.

Knowing that teenage boys could have voracious appetites, Maddie made two sandwiches for him before grabbing a bag of chips out of the cupboard as well. Maddie grabbed the plate of sandwiches and started walking towards the sliding glass doors leading outside before Nahale stepped forward to take them from her, "Let me get those for you."

_What a nice boy_, Maddie thought. _And he has good manners._

"Thanks. I'll just grab us some bottles of water." She answered before following him outside and calling out to Stephanie, "Steph, sweetie, we have a guest."

Stephanie sat up and glanced towards her Mom to see the handsome young man carrying a plate of sandwiches beside her.

"This is Nahale. He's a friend of your dad's," Maddie said in introduction.

Nahale almost stopped in his tracks again. _Steve had a daughter? How did he not know this? And not only did he have a daughter, but geez, she was __**gorgeous**__._

Stephanie got off the hammock as gracefully as she could…..which is never easy on a hammock…..and offered him a shy smile, "Hi Nahale, it's nice to meet you."

Nahale couldn't find his voice and Maddie looked somewhat amused as she noticed the expression on his face. The poor boy looked as if he'd been hit by a train. She decided to help him out, "Come on, let's eat."

They made their way to a table and got settled. "So Nahale, tell us how you know Steve." Maddie said to get conversation started. A nervous look crossed his face before he masked it and offered them a small smile, "Steve helped me out of a jam a few months back." He looked down at his sandwich as if trying to think about what to say, "My Mom died and I was living on the streets after things didn't work out so well with a foster family."

Maddie's heart ached at those words as he continued, "I got into some trouble, and instead of sending me to jail like most people would, Steve helped me out. He gave me a second chance. He was there for me when no one else was."

_Same ole big hearted Steve_, Maddie thought. He had always been one to befriend everyone when they were kids. He stood up for them, spoke up for them and defended them. The reason he'd been so popular in high school wasn't only because he was the school's star quarterback, but because he was a friend to all. It warmed Maddie's heart to realize that apparently hadn't changed.

However, Maddie couldn't help but wonder why Nahale had ended up 'on the streets'. What about his dad? She decided not to ask him, though. Maybe Steve would fill her in later. "I'm glad he was there for you, Nahale."

"Yeah, Steve's great. I don't know what I would've done without him."

Maddie decided to change the subject to something more lighthearted and it wasn't long before Stephanie and Nahale were talking only to each other, totally ignoring that Maddie was even there, and getting acquainted. Under normal circumstances, Maddie may have felt some hesitation about the situation, but Stephanie had just been through hell…Anything that would bring a smile to her face was a gift, in Maddie's opinion. Nahale's arrival at the house may have been unexpected that day, but it certainly wasn't unwelcome. Maddie was happy for the distraction for her daughter. Hearing her laugh in the backyard as she talked to her new friend was music to Maddie's ears.

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Steve had asked Danny to let him go down to the interrogation room alone. Of course, Danny had denied that request….vehemently…..as had Grover. Since they both had daughters, they understood the rage Steve was feeling towards Ivan Belitrov. However, they also both felt the need to try to help him reign in the anger in order to get what they needed: And that was finding Diana's sister, Danielle, before any harm could come to her as well as any other girls who may have been taken against their will. They tried to talk Steve out of doing the interrogation since he was too close to the situation, but he refused to even hear that argument.

It was finally agreed that Lou would be the one to go into the interrogation room with Steve. When they returned back upstairs about thirty minutes later, Danny couldn't quite read the expression on Steve's face. He stalked passed everyone, his expression grim and unreadable as he went into his office. He shut the door leaving Lou to update the rest of the team.

"Is Belitrov still alive?" Kono quipped as she glanced worriedly towards Steve's office.

"He's alive…..but bleeding and in a hell of a lot of pain. However, we got some information on where Danielle may be. I'm pretty sure he told us the truth. If not, he is one stupid SOB to put himself in a position to get any more from McGarrett."

"So how is our boy?" Danny asked as he looked towards Steve's office as well.

Grover lowered his voice and sighed, "He's alright. I gotta hand it to him, he held himself together remarkably well considering what he just went through to get Stephanie back. If that had been Samantha, I don't know if I would've let Belitrov out alive."

Lou filled them in on the information Belitrov had given them on Danielle's whereabouts. The team was formulating a plan of rescue when Steve came back out of his office to join them. The expression on his face was much calmer even though still focused.

"Why don't you go home, Steve? We've got this." Chin said.

Steve shook his head resolutely, "No. I'm going to see this through. I need to be there."

"No. You _need_ to be with Stephanie and Maddie. Go home and let us handle this. We'll keep you updated every step of the way and will call you if we need you, " Chin insisted.

"He's right, buddy." Danny agreed, "Go home."

Seeing the concerned looks on his ohana, Steve had to admit they were right. He needed to be at home making sure everything was okay. After briefing him on the plan and making a few adjustments per his instructions, he headed home to his girls.

Steve walked into his house expecting to find a somber feeling in the house, so he was surprised when he walked in to the sound of laughter. He made his way through the dining room to look outside and found Stephanie and Nahale near the waters edge. Hearing Steve come in, Maddie emerged from the kitchen drying her hands with a towel and couldn't help but grin at the scowl on his face as he looked at the two teenagers.

"Something wrong, Commander?"

It was only then that Steve noticed Maddie beside him. He looked down at her and his expression softened. She leaned up to kiss him and he put his arms around her waist to hold her closer.

"What's he doing here?" Steve asked sounding a little harsher than he'd intended.

Maddie wasn't fazed. In fact, she'd all but expected this reaction from Steve. "He came over earlier…..Said you sometimes let him come over when he needs to get away. It looked like he could use some cheering up as well, so I let him stay. He and Steph have been getting along pretty well. I think it's been good for her."

Steve was surprised Maddie had let Nahale stay without knowing anything about him. In fact, it bothered him….more than a little. "How did you know you could trust him? He could have been a burglar…or worse!"

Maddie swatted his arm playfully, "Oh please. He had a _key to your house_, Steve. That alone told me a lot. Besides, my intuition told me I could trust him. He's a real sweetheart."

_Yeah…..that's what worries me_, Steve thought to himself. Nahale was a good kid, no doubt about it, but for some reason it awakened all sorts of unfamiliar feelings in Steve to see him with his daughter. However, he wisely decided to let it go for the moment.


	19. Chapter 19

Steve ran a hand over his face, "Yeah, he _**is**_ a good kid. He's had a rough life, but he's a good kid."

Maddie's expression grew serious as she noticed that Steve's knuckles were bruised. She was afraid to ask but needed to know. "What happened?" she asked as she took his hand into hers for closer inspection.

Steve enjoyed the feeling of Maddie's gentle touch as her hand touched his, so he didn't pull away, "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"That doesn't look '**fine**'. Your knuckles are bruised!"

"Maddie, I'm fine. I just had a…" he paused for a moment to figure out how to word it, "…..I had a _discussion_ with Ivan Belitrov. That's all."

Maddie's eyes widened as she realized what had happened. "Okay…..so…..um….Is he still alive? "

Maddie didn't miss the cocky smirk that crossed Steve's face as he said, "Yes…..he's _alive_. And I'm pretty sure he told me the truth about where Danielle is being held. Danny, Chin, and Lou are going to check it out now. Kono is checking some online connections he gave us to see if any more pictures were sold."

Maddie swallowed uncomfortably, "You mean pictures of Stephanie."

"Maybe not," Steve said. "Stephanie told us she doesn't remember any pictures being taken, and Ivan insists that the only reason for taking Stephanie was to try to get to **me**…..which obviously didn't work out so well."

He couldn't help but smile in satisfaction knowing what he'd done to Belitrov. The SOB had it coming, so Steve felt no sense of guilt in beating the crap out of him. There were some definite perks to having 'full immunity and means', and even though Governor Denning might question that soon, it made no difference to Steve. It was worth whatever price he had to pay.

"I hope you're right." Maddie said. She was trying to sound positive, but there was doubt in her voice.

Steve pulled her to him again and kissed the top of her head, "Don't worry, Maddie-girl. I've got this. No one is going to hurt our daughter again. And I'm going to make damn sure Ivan Belitrov pays for what he's done to all of them."

Steve glanced out towards the backyard again. Maddie looked up at him knowingly, "Why don't you go check on Steph and Nahale? I'm making dinner…..and I'm sure she wants to see you."

Maddie was making dinner? Coming home to someone he loved…someone he'd _**always**_ loved….and their daughter. He could get use to this. Glancing out towards Stephanie as he held Maddie in his arms, Steve realized this was the dream he'd always had for himself but would have never admitted after his family had been split apart in a mask of deception and lies.

Steve took Maddie's face in his hands as he leaned down to kiss her, "Okay. I'll go out for a minute. Then I want to help you with dinner."

Maddie shook her head defiantly, "No way, McGarrett. I'M making dinner. After the day you've had, I want you to go out and enjoy the kids. Trust me, after five minutes, they'll have you smiling and feeling much better."

She started to push him towards the door and Steve laughed. "Are you pushing me out of my own house? Seriously?"

"Yes," she replied smartly. "Now **go.**"

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Stephanie looked up to see Steve walking across the backyard towards them and jogged to meet him throwing her arms around his neck. At first, Steve was shocked by the expression of affection and emotion, but quickly found himself putting his arms around her to hold her close to him. He didn't even want to think about what might have happened if he'd lost her right after finding out she existed. Stephanie hugged him so tightly, he thought he might lose his breath before she pulled away to look up at him.

"Thank you for coming after me. I was so scared. I thought….."

Steve put his hand on the back of her head to pull her close again, "Shhhh, don't say anything," Steve interrupted. "Just remember that I will _always _protect you. Always."

Stephanie looked up at him again. "I believe you," she said. The smile that crossed her face melted Steve's heart. God help him, but he was definitely in trouble when it came to Maddie and Stephanie. How was he ever going to survive with his "bad-ass" reputation intact with these two girls in his life? Strangely enough, he almost didn't care.

Nahale walked up hesitantly and Steve offered him a smile. He let go of Stephanie but kept one arm around her shoulder, "Hey buddy."

Nahale smiled back hesitantly, "Hey. Sorry to come over without calling you first….but I…uh…..I needed….to get away. You said I could come over whenever….."

Steve cut him off, too "It's okay. I told you that my house is your house and said I'd always be here for you. I meant that."

Nahale cast a nervous glance in Stephanie's direction before looking back to Steve.

Steve looked down at his daughter, "Why don't you go see if your Mom needs some help."

Stephanie may not have known Steve long, but she knew this was more of a demand than a request. It was apparent that he wanted to talk to Nahale alone. And after hearing some of what Nahale had shared with her that afternoon, she knew he needed to talk to Steve. She started to make her way inside after hugging Steve again and going up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

After Stephanie made her way back inside, Steve turned his attention back towards Nahale, "Okay. Wanna tell me what's going on?"

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Stephanie walked into the house and the smell of her mom's famous lasagna immediately hit her senses. She went into the kitchen to see Maddie stirring the sauce on the stove.

"Oh my gosh, Momma. You're making my favorite!"

Maddie chuckled softly before turning towards her daughter, "Of course I am! What else would you expect? I'm so happy that you're back…..safe and sound…so I wanted to make your favorite dinner."

Stephanie gave her mom a mischievous smile, "Are you sure you aren't doing this for _Steve_?"

"What do you mean?"

"You always told me that your lasagna was a no-fail recipe where men were concerned." Stephanie smirked at her Mom.

"Stephanie Michelle, are you insinuating that I'm trying to bribe him or something?" she teased as she laughed.

"No, not bribe him…..Just win him over. But, if you want my opinion, I think you may've done that a long time ago. I don't think he ever got over you." Maddie turned to look at her, so Stephanie continued, "Just like _you_ never got over _him_."

Maddie walked over to give Stephanie a hug, "I don't know, sweetie. It's too early to know what will happen. I mean, it's been a crazy couple of days…..and it's been a very long time since Steve and I were together. But I will admit that I still have feelings for him. We'll just have to see what happens."

Maddie looked out the window and noticed Steve and Nahale having what appeared to be a serious conversation. She hoped everything was okay. Nahale seemed like a sweet boy, but he had definitely been troubled about something that afternoon. Maddie's years as a high school teacher had given her great intuition about kids and rarely steered her wrong. She was happy he had someone like Steve to turn to. Stephanie joined her Mom by the sink to peer out the window.

"Nahale told me how he met Steve." Stephanie said.

"Oh? How's that?"

"He stole the Marquis."

Maddie's eyes widened in surprise, "He _**stole**_ it?"

Stephanie shook her head, "That's what he said. His Mom died and his dad was in prison. He ran away from the foster home he was in because it was so horrible. He said he was homeless and needed money, so he stole Steve's car and started stripping it for parts. When HPD found it on the beach, he'd already sold off a lot of it. They eventually found him and took him into Five-0. He said it scared the crap out of him because he'd heard about Five-0. Apparently everyone on the island knows what bad asses they are…Especially Steve."

Maddie shot a warning look at her daughter over her choice of words. Stephanie continued, "Sorry. But you gotta admit, Steve can be pretty intimidating!" When Maddie smirked and shook her head, Stephanie continued, "So anyway, they took Nahale to Steve's office expecting him to have him arrested. But….when Steve heard his story, rather than pressing charges, he told them to get Nahale some food and clothes. Once he was cleaned up, Steve offered to let him off the hook as long as he helped him put the car back together and stayed out of trouble. He's been helping Nahale out ever since."

Maddie's heart melted as she felt tears well in her eyes. "That sounds like the Steve I always knew. He was always fighting for the underdog."

The two spent a couple more minutes looking out the window before Maddie sniffed, trying unsuccessfully to hide her emotion from her daughter, "Why don't you mix up a salad while I get the lasagna put together and in the oven, sweetie. Then, we'll have about 30 minutes until we can eat, so maybe we can join them outside."

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_Meanwhile, Steve and Nahale were having their own conversation…_

Steve patted Nahale on the shoulder, "So what's going on?"

"I needed to clear my head. I came over to work on the car and was going to come inside to get some water first. That's when I ran into Maddie."

"It's okay." Steve assured him, "I told you to come over whenever you needed to. So why did you need to clear your head?"

Nahale turned to look out at the water. It took him a moment to speak, but Steve continued to wait patiently until he was ready. When he did begin to talk, his voice was barely a whisper, "They want me to testify against my dad."

Steve knew this was coming. Ellie had briefed him earlier and told him chances were strong they would need Nahale's testimony in order to get his dad convicted of murder. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh, "I know. The evidence against him is strong, but nothing can beat an eye witness. You were there, Nahale. Your testimony may make all the difference between them finding him guilty or letting him go for 'circumstantial evidence'."

Nahale shook his head in agreement, "I know. I just don't know if I can do it. I mean, it's not like we're close or anything…..He's been in prison most of my life. But he's my dad…..and I just don't know if I can do it."

"You're stronger than you think." Steve said softly but firmly. "You can do this. I'll be there with you every step of the way. Understand?"

Nahale didn't answer right away. "Look at me." Steve demanded. Nahale hesitated before turning pain filled eyes Steve's way. Just like the time he'd found Nahale hiding out in the Marquis after being told he would have to live with his father, Steve's heart clenched in his chest at the pain he saw there. "I told you before that I would always protect you. You have to believe that I _will_ do that. And I promise I'll be right there with you. Ellie wouldn't ask you to do this unless she thought it was necessary. You know that right?"

Nahale shook his head, "I know."

Steve patted him on the back before pulling him in for a quick hug, "You can do this, buddy. It's going to be okay."

Steve looked towards his house for a minute and Nahale caught and unreadable expression on his face.

"Soooo….you have a daughter." It was a statement more than a question. He was surprised to see a soft smile on Steve's face when he answered.

"Yeah, I guess I do. And believe me, I'm a surprised as everyone else."

"But you're happy about it, right?"

Steve knew what he was thinking. Nahale had never felt wanted. His mom had been the best mom she knew how to be, but things had been rough for them. Nahale had shared with Steve that there had been many times he had wondered if it would have been better for him never to be born since his dad was a criminal and his mom's struggle with alcohol meant she wasn't really "there" emotionally for him growing up. Steve may've had his own family struggles growing up, but he had never doubted that he was wanted, supported, or loved. It hurt him to know that Nahale never seemed to have had that before.

"I'm definitely happy about it." Steve answered him with a small smile on his lips, "And you can believe that I would have been there for her if I would have known about her." He glanced back towards the kitchen window again.

Nahale seemed to hesitate for a moment, "So what happened with you and Maddie? How did you not know?" he finally asked.

Steve shrugged and sighed, "Maddie and I were high school sweethearts. But when we thought my Mom had been killed, my dad sent Mary and I both away. We had no choice in the matter and we didn't get to say any 'goodbyes'. We were here one day…..and gone the next. It wasn't long after that when Maddie found out she was pregnant….A lot of things happened after that, and now she regrets some of the decisions she made…..so we're going to work through it."

Steve's tone was confident and it made Nahale feel good knowing that he had no intention of letting Stephanie or Maddie out of his life again. The little bit they had talked today, Nahale and Stephanie had shared things with each other that probably few other people knew. She had shared with him her wish to have Steve be part of her life and Nahale understood how she felt. He'd never had a dad either, and he hoped for Stephanie's sake that things would work out for her to get to know Steve better.

Truth be told, he wouldn't mind getting to know her better himself.


	20. Chapter 20

**The last couple of episodes of Season 6 have brought some ideas to mind on how to continue the story of Steve and Maddie. We'll see how they play out.**

**Please let me know what you think. I love reading reviews!**

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As it turned out, Nahale wouldn't have to testify against his father after all.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that Steve would have the difficult task a couple of days later of telling Nahale that his father had been killed in prison while awaiting trial. After having a nice weekend with his girls, Steve had gone back to work only to have the week go to hell in a hand-basket after several prisoners had escaped from prison. Including Adam. That situation had been handled, but then Steve was faced with the news that Nahale's father had been killed. It was up to Steve to break the news. It was tough enough to break such news to people you didn't know personally, but breaking the news to the boy he'd grown to love like a son was going to be difficult.

After calling Nahale and asking him to come by the Five-0 offices, Steve called Maddie. They had spent the last few days together as a family and Steve had become convinced that he needed them…..both of them…..in his life. He hadn't talked to Maddie about it yet, but he fully intended on talking to her about moving back to Hawaii permanently.

If only his job would give him a break and let him do so.

His job. That was definitely an obstacle. But Steve was pretty certain he would be able to handle his career and a family. After all, Grover did it just fine. He and Renee had been married for a long time and had a good family life. Steve knew he and Maddie could do it too. It was still too soon to talk about marriage, but having a daughter together changed everything. He needed them in his life and was ready to do whatever it took to convince Maddie of that as well.

He pulled up the Contact List on his phone and smiled as he saw the picture of Maddie he had taken earlier without her knowledge. He loved candid shots and this one had caught her beauty in a magnificent way. Or at least he thought so. He pushed the button to call her phone.

Maddie answered, "Hello handsome."

Steve smiled, "Hello beautiful."

"So are you on your way home soon?" she asked hopefully. Hearing Steve's sigh on the other end, a worried frown crossed her brow.

"Uh…..Not yet," he answered.

Maddie could hear the emotion in his voice. "Steve, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

"I had a call a little while ago from Halawa Prison."

Maddie didn't say anything as she allowed him to continue. It took a few moments before he spoke again. When he did, his voice was full of sadness.

"They called to tell me that Nahale's father had been killed in the yard."

He heard Maddie gasp.

"It happened before any of the guards realized what was going on, Maddie. By the time they got to him, he was bleeding out and there was nothing they could do."

By this time, Maddie heard his voice choke and knew he was trying not to cry.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry" her heart broke as she wished she was _with_ Steve at the moment. "Poor Nahale! How is he?"

Steve took a minute to put his emotions back in control. "That's why I'm calling…..to let you know I might be a little late. I'm waiting for him to come by the office.

Maddie heard what Steve wasn't verbalizing, "You have to be the one to tell him the news about his dad. Right?"

Steve's voice was full of sadness and emotion, "Yeah. Poor kid's lost both of his parents now. Not that his dad was much of a father anyway…..but still…..I'm not sure what he'll do when he finds out his last known family member has died."

Maddie's motherly instincts came to the surface, "Bring him home with you tonight. We'll figure it out together."

Steve heard the conviction in her voice. His Maddie had turned into quite a mother…..Even to kids who weren't hers. Steve felt his heart swell, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," she answered a little testily which made Steve smile. "You've been there for that boy more in the last year or so than his father _**ever**_ was. He's going to _need you_. Besides," she chuckled softly, "This is _your house, _so it's not like you have to ask permission to bring someone here_._ _Stephanie and I _are your guests too."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Steve answered softly but firmly as he heard her soft gasp again.

He looked up to see Nahale walking into the Five-0 offices.

"We'll talk about that later," He promised. "Gotta go, Maddie girl. He's here. I'll call you back in a few."

They said their goodbyes just as Nahale started making his way towards Steve office. Steve willed himself to do the task at hand even though it was going to hurt him to do so. He'd help the kid through this one way or another. Like Maddie said, they'd figure it out…together. He had to admit, it felt good to have someone by his side. It was a change he could definitely get used to.

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By the time Steve got home with Nahale, Maddie had told Stephanie what was going on. Stephanie had decided it was a night for "comfort food", so she and Maddie decided on something homemade that everyone could help put together. Not only would it be_ fun_, but it would also help distract from the problems surrounding them at the moment.

It wasn't long before Maddie heard Steve and Nahale coming in the front door. She turned to Stephanie who was helping her prepare the homemade dough they would need that night, "Stay here for a sec, okay sweetie?"

"Sure Mom."

Maddie kissed Stephanie on the cheek before walking out the kitchen door and towards the living room. She walked in just as Steve shut the door. Nahale turned towards her and her heart broke at the sadness she saw on his face. This boy had lost so much in his short life and she couldn't help herself from walking to him and wrapping her arms around him. Even though Nahale was a good 10+ inches taller than Maddie, he put his arms around her, leaned down so his head was on her shoulder, and hugged her back with a fierceness that told her just how much he was hurting. Maddie returned his hug with a fierceness of her own as she cast a glance at Steve. His eyes were showing worry and sadness too.

_This just wouldn't do_, she resolved. _I need to get their minds off of the problems at hand and onto something else…..even if only for a little while. _

Maddie heard Nahale sniff into her shoulder and felt her heart squeeze again. She pushed him away for a second, even though her hands never left his shoulders. Then she took his face in her hands forcing him to look at her. "I don't want you to worry about this, kiddo. We'll figure it out. _Together._ You _**do**_ have a family…You'll _**always**_ have family. And I can guaran-Damn-tee you, you will _never_ be without family again as long as Steve….or I…..have anything to say about it. Understand?"

Steve looked at her with nothing but admiration and love in his eyes.

God, he loved this woman.

When Maddie glanced at Steve briefly again, she could have sworn she saw his eyes getting misty. But he shook it off and got it "under control" as only man who had been in elite military service could do.

But he didn't fool Maddie. He could never fool his Maddie-girl who had always been able to read him like a book.

"So, I'm thinking about homemade pizza. Is that okay? We can each make one exactly how we like it. What do you think?"

Nahale looked at Maddie and shook his head in agreement even though his eyes were full of brokenness.

At the thought of _homemade _pizza, Nahale realized he'd never made one, so it sounded like fun. Seeing the small smile that crossed his face, Maddie felt a little better.

"Okay," she said more cheerfully. "So by that smile, I'm thinking pizza is okay?"

Steve and Nahale smiled their agreement as Steve walked up to pat Nahale on the shoulder and give him a "manly" hug.

"I told you everything was going to be alright," he told the teenager.

Maggie found the whole exchange amusing and totally endearing. After all, what was the big deal about getting a hug…..and maybe even breaking down…with a woman? Her subconscious shook it's head, "_Alpha males. What can ya do with them?"_

Rather than questioning them on it, though, she just smiled in their direction again and effectively taking some of the worry away. Looking at Nahale she said, "Okay, why don't you head to the kitchen and help Stephanie start getting things ready. I'll be right there."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you." Nahale said.

Before he could leave, Maddie put a hand on his arm to stop him, "Please…call me Maddie."

Nahale shot an uncertain glance in Steve's direction.

Maddie countered with a look of her own. There was a mixture of frustration and amusement in her voice, "Listen to _me_, young man. If I tell you to do something, you do it. Got it? Don't worry about Steve."

Maddie couldn't help but notice Steve's unhappy glare in her direction…..and for once, she actually felt the tingle up her spine that everyone else seemed to feel in his presence. It was a look telling her to be careful.

She looked at Steve before turning back to Nahale, "So, let me clarify that," she began. "You _**totally DO**_ need to listen to Steve. BUT, you can trust me, too. And I'm telling you to call me 'Maddie'. Got it? Calling me 'ma'am' just makes me feel old."

A chuckle escaped her.

Nahale returned with a small laugh of his own, "Okay…..Maddie."

As soon as Nahale was in the kitchen, Maddie felt Steve's arms around her. He turned her towards him and leaned down to kiss her. What he meant to be a simple, gentle, 'thank-you-for-being-there" kiss quickly turned into something more heated. It took all the strength Steve possessed to pull away and look at her.

"You are incredible. Do you know that?"

Maddie blushed and Steve felt his heart warm and other certain parts of him nearly stand at attention. And although she returned his smile, her voice still held sadness.

"I'm just doing what anyone would do," she said. "That poor baby has lost a lot in his short life."

She caught the amused look on Steve's face and cast him one of her famous "Maddie-glares".

"Don't give me that look, Steve McGarrett," she said as she playfully swatted his arm. It was all he could do not to chuckle at her feisty personality. After all, her 'feistiness' was one of the things that had caused him to fall in love with her in the first place.

Seeing that Steve still had a somewhat amused look on his face, she continued. "You'll understand soon enough…but when you have kids of your own, you realize that they will always be babies to you. And so will every other person who is their age."

Steve's eyes darkened for just a second as Maddie realized what she'd said. Steve _**did**_ have a child. _**They**_ had a child. _**Together.**_ And because of her young innocence and lack of wisdom, she had kept Steve from his child.

"I …uh….I didn't mean….well…..I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm sorry."

Steve pulled her into his embrace, "No worries, Maddie-girl. You're here _now_ and that's what matters. I have you back in my life AND I have Stephanie. I also have Nahale to think about as well as Mary and Joannie…..and the rest of my Ohana….so my life is feeling pretty full right now."

Maggie's brows furrowed as she looked up at him, "I hope it's not _too full_."

Steve swatted her delectable ass firmly which caused a shocked little yelp to escape her mouth before he leaned down to kiss her, "_**Never**_, Maddie. My life could never be 'too full' with you back in it…not _**ever**_."

Maddie felt her heart swell again.

As much as Steve would have loved to stand there holding her all night…or doing other things….they needed to eat dinner. And they had two hungry teenagers in the kitchen.

Well, at least _one_ hungry teenager, he thought. While teenage boys seemed to eat everything in sight, he was finding out that teenage _girls_ were another story.

No matter, he thought. They would _all_ be eating together tonight. If Stephanie didn't like it, he would insist upon it. He was learning very quickly that his word went farther with her and seemed to gain a quicker response than Maddie's. Must be the familiar adage of "Don't make me tell your Dad….." playing out in real life. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he and Maddie made their way to the kitchen.


	21. Chapter 21

After filling themselves up with homemade pizza and the brownies Maddie insisted on making, Nahale and Stephanie went into the living room to watch a movie. Steve was rather impressed that they hadn't had to bribe _or threaten _Stephanie to eat. She ate with the rest of them as they laughed and enjoyed time together.

After dinner, Stephanie and Nahale volunteered to clean up….much to Maddie's surprise. Steve and Nahale shared a look with each other which peaked Maddie's curiosity. Something was going on. Before she could ask them any questions, though, Steve said he wanted to go outside for some fresh air. He hoped for a chance to talk to Maddie about what had been on his mind the last few days which was why he had asked the teenagers earlier to give him and Maddie some time after dinner to talk.

Steve followed the kids into the kitchen to grab two wine glasses and a bottle of wine he'd put into the freezer to chill. When he walked back out and held out his hand for Maddie's, she looked at him curiously but didn't say anything. Maddie knew there was something on Steve's mind because she saw a familiar "twinkle" in his eye. However, she wisely decided to wait and see how it played out as he led her through the dining room to the lanai. Once they were outside, he looked over his shoulder to where the teenagers were working together to do the dishes before turning towards Maddie.

"Let's go down to the water." He gave her hand a gentle tug as he led her in that direction. They settled on the sand and Maddie held on to the glasses as Steve opened up the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.

She handed him his glass, "So what are we toasting to?"

Steve held his glass up to hers. "To _us_," he answered and Maddie felt her stomach do a somersault.

They 'clinked' glasses together and each took a sip before curiosity got the best of Maddie. She couldn't wait anymore, "So what's on your mind?"

Steve took another sip of his wine. He knew better than to try telling Maddie there was 'nothing' on his mind. She knew him too well. And honestly, he'd been thinking about it so much the past week, he didn't want to keep it to himself anymore. He _needed _to tell her what was on his heart.

Steve sighed before reaching out his free hand to take Maddie's again. "We need to talk, babe."

Fear and uncertainty welled up inside of Maddie as the words came out of his mouth. Was this going to be a good thing or a bad thing? And why was she suddenly frightened of what he might say?

"Okay," she tried to sound confident but damned if her voice didn't come out shaky. "About what?"

Steve sensed her apprehension and gave her a reassuring smile. He reached up to stroke her cheek, "Don't look so worried, Maddie-girl."

The endearment was meant to ease her nerves, but it didn't work. Maddie tried to release the breath she was holding in, but found that her voice was still shaking.

"Sorry. I just…I mean…..You look so serious," she stammered. "Is this good or bad?"

Steve continued to look at her intensely though his expression was softened. He shrugged, "I guess it depends on how you interpret it."

Okay, so that did _nothing_ to calm her nerves and Steve realized he needed to move this along before he screwed it up entirely. He kept hold of her hand and let out a big sigh, "Maddie…..You've been out of my life long enough. Do you have any idea how many times I've thought about you over the years? I've wondered where you _were_….What you were _doing_…..If you were _happy._ Even though it wasn't my choice to leave, I always felt guilty for not saying 'goodbye' to you. You were…."

Steve stopped as if searching for the words he wanted to say.

"I was _what_?" Shauni whispered.

Steve fixed his gaze on Maddie and she held her breath.

"You were my **'everything'**. " Maddie's eyes widened at the admission. "Having to leave you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I lost my mom, had to move away from my dad and Mary, and you….When I had to leave you without any explanation…..You have to know that _killed me_."

Maddie felt a lump of emotion in her throat. She knew the pain he'd felt because she'd experienced it too. They were only high school seniors when it happened, but she had loved Steve McGarrett with every part of her heart. Keeping this secret…..the secret of the daughter they'd made together…..was the hardest thing she had ever done. It was also her biggest regret.

"I can't go through that again," Steve continued. "Especially now that I know we have a daughter together." Steve reached up to stroke her cheek again, but this time he also ran his thumb gently over her bottom lip causing goosebumps to pop up all over her body. "I need you back in my life, Maddie. _Both _of you."

At his admission, Maddie sat up a little straighter. Should she allow herself to hope that Steve might be thinking like her? Since seeing him again and spending so much time together over the last few days, she couldn't bear the thought of leaving him. Not to mention the fact that she had seen how he was with their daughter which left no doubt in her mind about how much Stephanie _needed_ her father in her life.

Still, she was afraid to hope.

At least at this point.

So she pressed him further.

"What are you saying?" she whispered before holding her breath yet again and waiting on his answer.

Steve looked out at the ocean before them. "I know it's a lot to ask…..and I know you'll need to think about it…" He turned back towards her, his eyes so vulnerable it caught her off guard. "But I want you to think about moving back."

"Back to Hawaii?" Maddie squeaked in surprise. "Ummmm…." She didn't know what to say. Her mind was reeling even though her heart was swelling in happiness.

Steve wanted her back? But how could that be true after what she had hidden from him all these years?

Steve sat up straighter himself. "Before you say anything, listen to me." He took a deep breath. "I know you're thinking about Stephanie….and so am I. I mean, I know she's still in school and has grown up with her friends there, but _**she **_has even talked to me about this."

Maddie was shocked, "Stephanie talked to you about moving here?"

Her mind was running wild again: Why would Stephanie talk to Steve and not _her_? She tried not to feel hurt by that revelation.

Steve saw the frown creasing her brow. "You're overthinking this, babe. Listen to me: Steph didn't exactly mention moving here _permanently_, but she _has_ talked about visiting in the Summer and stuff." Steve paused for a moment as if gathering his thoughts and trying to figure out what to say. "But I want _more_ than that…..from _**both **_of you."

Maddie's eyes were still wide in surprise. She blinked. "You want us to move back to Hawaii?"

Yes, she knew she was repeating herself, but no other coherent thoughts were coming to her at the moment. To be perfectly honest, she had been thinking about the possibility of moving back herself. She'd been thinking about it a lot, actually. Seeing Steve again after 16 years had proven one thing to her: She still loved him and she knew Stephanie needed a father in her life. Maddie had hoped to discuss things with him eventually, but she hadn't wanted to "push". She never dared hope it would happen this fast OR that Steve would be the one to bring up the subject for discussion.

"Breathe, Maddie." She heard Steve say, and as she turned towards him, she saw the irresistible smile and twinkle in his eyes she'd missed so much. It was at that moment, she realized everything she had ever wanted might be possible again. Steve could be _hers_ again. Maddie looked at him and into the sea blue eyes that had made her fall in love with him when they were teenagers. His smile had turned hesitant as if he was concerned she was going to say 'No'.

Steve felt the need to explain further even though it was making him nervous as hell that he didn't know what Maddie was thinking. "Seeing the two of you once every few months isn't going to work for me. I want us to be a _family_."

He let that truth sink in before he continued, "Like I said, just _think about it_. You don't have to give me an answer right away…but I need for you to know that I don't want to lose you again….I _**won't**_ lose you again."

Maddie reached a hand up to place it on his cheek. "You aren't going to lose us, Steve. I've actually been thinking about this myself, but I was afraid to say anything."

Steve's brows furrowed in confusion, "Why?"

"I was afraid of it being 'too soon'." She replied.

Steve's smile widened, "Really?"

"Yes, really," she replied as she scooted closer to him. "Look…I inherited my parent's house when my Mom passed away last year. I've been thinking about what to do with the place and have put off dealing with it because….."

She looked down at the sand and felt Steve's finger forcing her chin back up. "Because why?" he asked her quietly.

Maddie swallowed the lump in her throat, "Because I hoped…." Her eyes grew misty, "I hoped that _someday_ I would be able to come back here again. Where _you_ are. I wanted Stephanie to know her Daddy…..and I always hoped you wouldn't hate me when you found out what I've kept from you all these years."

"I could never hate you, Maddie. You don't know how much I've missed you."

Steve felt a huge surge of hope inside, but like Maddie, he didn't want to push too fast. _She_ might be willing to move back, but they had Stephanie to consider as well. She was going to be a junior in high school, so leaving the friends she'd known all her life at the end of her high school career would be difficult.

Maddie saw the look on Steve's face and reached out to take his glass of wine so he could reach both of his hands up to cup her face. He leaned down to kiss her; Softly at first, but then more urgently. When they finally came up for air, both wine glasses spilled onto the sand, Steve rested his forehead against hers.

"We'll figure it out. Don't worry, okay?"

When she didn't respond right away, he leaned back to look at her and found her eyes closed.

"Don't hide from me," Steve demanded softly.

When she didn't open her eyes right away, he tried again. "_**Look**__ at me_, Maddie." His voice was insistent.

When she opened her eyes, he saw something in her eyes he hadn't expected:

Love.

He knew with certainty in that moment that the love they'd shared for each other as teenagers had never really gone away. If anything, it had grown exponentially now that they were back together. Steve felt a sense of peace wash over him as he realized Maddie and Stephanie would become a permanent part of his life. They still had to work out the details, but he knew it was going to happen.

And that made him happier than he'd been in a very long time.

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	22. Chapter 22

**LONG CHAPTER….so beware. ;) **

************h50***********h50********h50**

Steve looked at his watch and realized it was getting late. Nahale had asked for a ride home, so he reluctantly helped Maddie up so they could make their way back to the house. They found Stephanie and Nahale laughing in the kitchen as they finished cleaning up.

Steve suggested swinging by Kamekona's for some "shaved ice" for dessert, so Maddie and Stephanie decided to ride along.

Kamekona was happy to see the whole group; Nahale had becomelike a son to him…and Steve, Maddie, and Stephanie were unequivocally "second family". McGarrett was one of the last people he would've expected to see enjoying "domesticated life", but Steve seemed to be moving into the role very easily.

_All it takes is the __**right**__ woman_, Kame thought to himself as he made Maddie's cup of shaved ice.

Raspberry was apparently her favorite, so he made a mental note to remember. It was always good business to remember a frequent customer's 'favorite'….and he was hoping Maddie and Stephanie would both become frequent visitors in the near future.

At least for Steve's sake.

As he finished her order, he glanced over to where Steve, Nahale, and Stephanie were already sitting. The kids were laughing together, and he was happy to see that Steve was laughing too. It was rare….and the significance wasn't lost on him.

He reached the cup of raspberry shaved ice towards Maddie but didn't let go right away.

Maddie met his gaze and looked up at him quizzically.

"So how long do you plan to stay in Oahu, sweet Maddie?"

Maddie smiled back at him but was somewhat wary. "What do you mean?"

He reminded her of a teddy bear….a very BIG teddy bear…..but a "teddy bear" none-the-less. His gaze was endearing, but it pierced her heart. She knew with certainty how much he cared for his buddy, "Commander" Steve McGarrett.

"I'm just hoping you and Stephanie will be able to visit often." Kamekona continued. He looked at Steve before turning his gaze back towards Maddie.

"Steve is much _**happier**_ now that you are here," he finished.

Maddie felt her heart melt a little. It was such a sweet sentiment. It was also one that she understood completely. At this point, she couldn't conceive how she had ever lived without Steve for the past 16 years. She was also so happy to see the "family" Steve had surrounded himself with. He may not have his parents around anymore…..and his sister may live away, too…but Steve had surrounded himself with a core group of people who truly cared about _him _and each other. It warmed her heart to see how much love and support he had in his inner circle.

"We have some things to talk about and work through," she admitted. "But I feel good about the future." She looked back at Steve and found him watching them too. He winked at her, and that damn 'wink' had the same effect on her that it always had. She smiled back at him before turning back to Kamekona "I'd say it's very possible Stephanie and I could make things more permanent very soon."

He smiled ear-to-ear, "That's what I wanted to hear, sistah."

Maddie made her way over to the picnic table and the foursome finished their shaved ice together. Then, they made their way to the apartment Nahale was sharing with Kamekona's nephew, Kekoa. The young men had become fast friends when they started working together and had eventually decided to get an apartment together. They were still young; Kekoa was 20 and Nahale 19, but they both had a good work ethic and seemed to be doing okay for themselves. Steve was proud of what Nahale had managed to do after the hard life he'd had so young.

Steve brought the truck to a stop and Nahale started to get out of the truck, but not before saying goodnight to Steve and Maddie and thanking her once again for dinner. She'd even insisted he take home the leftovers for lunch the next day. He started to get out of the truck, and to Steve's surprise, Stephanie got out of the truck and walked around to the other side to talk to Nahale for a few minutes…..alone. They were taking more time to say "goodbye" than Steve was comfortable with and he started to fidget in his seat as he tried unsuccessfully to sneak glances in the rearview mirror to see what they were doing. He heard Maddie chuckle softly beside him.

"What?" he asked her.

"They're fine," she answered. "They're just saying goodbye."

"Well, how long does it take to say goodbye?" he sounded somewhat annoyed as he looked in the rearview mirror again. True…..they were just talking…..but still. Actually Stephanie was laughing at something Nahale had said as she played with a strand of her hair in her fingers.

_She's flirting!_ Steve thought dismayed.

Maddie chuckled again. He looked so cute with the frown on his face that she couldn't help it. She reached over and put her hand on his forearm. "You said Nahale's a good kid, sweetie. After spending some time with him, I tend to agree with you."

"Yeah…..he _**is**_….but…..I mean, she's only **15.**" He turned his focus to the mirror again.

"Steve!" Maddie said to get his attention. When he looked back at her, she smiled, "Take a deep breath. Seriously…..What are they going to do? We're sitting _right here_."

About that time, Stephanie leaned in to give Nahale a hug before getting back in to the truck. Steve breathed a sigh of relief and said no more about it. He even managed to smile and wave at Nahale as they pulled away.

"Nahale wants to take me surfing tomorrow morning, Mom. Can I go? I've been wanting to learn how to surf." Stephanie said after they were back on the road.

"I can teach you to surf." Steve said before Maddie had a chance to answer.

Maddie shot him a warning glance, even though she was smiling, before answering Stephanie, "That should be fine, sweetie. Tomorrow's our last day here, so try to be home by late afternoon so we can have dinner and get ready to fly home."

Steve's phone rang and he looked at the Caller ID to see Mary's name. He told Maddie who was calling, "I need to get this."

"Of course," Maddie said even as she felt her heart sink. Mary was going to hate her when she found out the truth.

Steve answered the call and exchanged pleasantries before the two started talking about Joanie and the fact she'd started preschool.

"Isn't she too young for that?" Steve asked.

"She's three years old, brah. I need to start her now. Besides, it's only 3 days a week….and she loves it, so I think it's going to be good for her."

Maddie couldn't help but think how sweet it was that Steve had a niece. Her heart hurt, though, in thinking about how sweet it would have been to see Steve with Stephanie when she was the same age.

"So, Mary…..I have something I need to talk to you about."

She heard the trepidation in his voice, "Ooooh-kay" she said cautiously. "What is it?"

"Now isn't really a good time. Could I call you once I get back home? I should be there in ten minutes?"

Mary's curiosity was definitely peaked, "Why can't you tell me now? Is it something about Mom?"

Steve cast a glance in Maddie's direction, "No, it's not about Mom….but it's important. Let me call you back in a few."

"Come on, tell me now." Mary insisted.

Steve sighed in frustration, "Mar….just give me a few minutes and I'll call you back. I want to be back home when I tell you what's going on."

Mary grew uncharacteristically quiet before she spoke again, "You're scaring me a little, Steve."

"Nothing to be scared about." Steve insisted, "It's actually good news. Or at least I hope you think it's good news. I'm almost home, so let me unload my truck and get settled and I'll call you back."

They said goodbyes and Steve was quiet for a few minutes before Maddie spoke up, "Mary doesn't know about us yet, does she?"

Steve took his eyes off the road briefly to look at Maddie again, "No." he confirmed. "Things have been a little crazy the last few days and I haven't had a chance to tell her." 

Maddie shook her head in understanding, but Steve could see worry on her face. "So Mary has a baby?"

A soft smile crossed Steve's lips and Maddie felt her heart flutter. "Yeah, she adopted a baby a couple of years ago. Joannie is three now."

"Who is Mary?" Stephanie spoke up from the backseat of the truck.

"Mary is my sister…so she's your aunt. I guess that would make Joannie your cousin."

Stephanie grew silent again and Maddie asked Steve, "What do you think she's going to think about this? I mean….us….."

Steve looked in the rearview mirror where he caught Stephanie's eye and winked at her before turning briefly towards Maddie again, "I think she'll be fine. Like I said, she adopted Joanie before me or anyone else knew what was going on. Now I see what a great Mom she is and I'm happy for her. I think she'll be happy to find out our news."

Maddie sighed beside him and didn't look convinced. Steve reached over to take her hand in his own, "Trust me," he tried to assure her. "Everything is going to be okay."

They arrived back at the McGarrett house and Stephanie retreated to her "room" upstairs while Maddie went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine and get Steve a beer. Something told her this talk with Mary was going to be tough for him even though he insisted otherwise. She joined him outside a few minutes later and found him already talking to Mary.

"Okay, Mar. If you think she's old enough for it, then I'm happy. She's just growing up so fast. I can't believe she's ready for preschool already."

Mary said something on the other end which made Steve smile, "Yeah, she's a great kid." He took the beer Maddie was holding out to him and gave her a grateful smile. Maddie started to walk away to give him some privacy, but he grabbed her hand to pull her back before motioning for her to sit down beside him.

"Listen, Mary, I need to talk to you about something. And it's probably going to be a shock…..so we'll just call it 'payback' for the way you shocked me two years ago when you showed up with Joanie."

Mary said something on the other line that made Steve roll his eyes, "No, I didn't get someone pregnant. At least not recently. However.…turns out I _do_ have a daughter."

Maddie heard a loud, "Whaaaaaat?" from Mary.

Steve put his phone on speaker so Maddie could listen in on the conversation, "You remember Maddie, right?"

"Of course I remember her. You two were practically super-glued together in high school. What about her?"

Realization hit Mary in that moment because they heard her gasp, "Oh my gosh. You had a baby with Maddie and never _told me_? Are you freaking kidding me brah,? And you made _**me**_ feel guilty when I adopted Joannie without telling you first and…."

"Hey, slow down. To answer your first question…yes, Maddie and I had a baby together but I didn't know about it until recently. Not until a few days ago, actually."

"How could you not know? Did she hide it from you? Because if she did, that is the lowest, cruelest…"

"Mary, Stop!" Steve interrupted and then sighed, "Listen, it's a long story. But the short version is that Maddie and I did have a daughter together…..and they are both here now."

Steve proceeded to tell Mary what had happened and how he'd found out about Stephanie. Afterwards, she didn't sound exactly thrilled that Maddie had kept it from Steve for so long, but she held her tongue for a change and didn't say anything. They talked a few minutes more before Steve asked to talk to Joannie. Maddie was transfixed as she listened to him talk to the niece he obviously adored: His voice softened, his face softened, and she could hear the love he had for the little girl with every word he spoke.

It made Maddie feel even more guilty, if that was possible. She knew it had been wrong to keep Stephanie from him all those years. She may have told herself that she'd done it only to protect him, but the truth was that she had been afraid. Steve would have done the "honorable" thing and married her and she didn't want him to resent her later on if they had married each other because of a baby. Maddie realized now how truly selfish that had been. There had never been a question how much she loved Steve ... even at seventeen years old….. but she shouldn't have doubted his feelings for her either. Now she was praying they would be able to find that love for each other again.

Steve ended the conversation with Mary before turning to look at Maddie.

"She hates me." Maddie sighed sadly.

Steve took her hand, "She doesn't hate you, Mad. It's just a shock…but trust me, she's shocked me _plenty_ over the years." He winked at her.

Maddie laughed softly but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Steve let go of her hand to put his arm around her instead and pull her closer to him. Maddie rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh and Steve leaned down to kiss her soft curls and breathed in the smell of her shampoo. "I know I keep saying this, but it's going to be okay. Trust me. Once Mary gets over the surprise, she's going to be fine. She loved you when we were kids and I know she will now. Actually, she's probably going to be very relieved to have two more females in the family."

Maddie sat up to look at him, "That means you are outnumbered. Four 'women' and only one man."

He rolled his eyes again but smiled good-naturedly, "Don't remind me."

They made their way back into the house and sat on the couch to watch some news.


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning, Stephanie woke up early when she thought she heard Steve moving around. She looked at her clock and realized it was only 5:45 a.m., but she wondered if he might be getting ready to go out for a run like seemed to do every morning. She got up quickly and stepped out of her room just as he started going downstairs. He heard her open the door and turned around.

"Hey," he smiled at her. "You're up early. Can't you sleep?"

She shrugged. "Umm….not really."

Steve knew why: She'd been through quite a trauma over the last few days. She had seen a friend drugged and kidnapped as well as being kidnapped herself. That was 'the stuff' nightmares were made of. Not to mention the fact that she'd flown to Hawaii without telling her Mom to meet the Dad she'd never known.

Even though Maddie nor Stephanie knew it, Steve had awakened the night before when Stephanie woke up screaming from a nightmare and Maddie got up quickly to go comfort her. He fought the urge to join them, but somehow knew Steph needed her Mom in that moment. Maddie hadn't come back until she knew Stephanie was asleep again…..and Steve pretended to be asleep. Once Maddie got situated in bed again, he had rolled over to hold her although he still pretended to be asleep. As soon as his arms went around her, he'd felt the tension leave her body and she'd fallen asleep again.

Stephanie broke into his thoughts….

"So…..I thought maybe we could _**run**_ together this morning?" It was a statement Stephanie had phrased like a question. She wanted to go out with him but was afraid he would turn her down. Little did she know how happy it made him that she wanted to go along. They would have to be careful, though. She was still under doctor's orders to take it easy for a few days, but Steve figured a light run wouldn't hurt her. He'd make sure they took it easy.

Steve's smile widened, "That would be great."

Her returning smile brightened his day just like Maddie's always did.

"K….Gimme a sec and I'll be right down." Stephanie returned to her room and quickly put on a tank top, running shorts, and her tennis shoes. Then she pulled her long brown hair up into a ponytail before making her way downstairs where she found Steve on the lanai.

After stretching, they made their way down to the beach.

"Ready?" Steve asked. He may not have known his daughter long, but something told him there was something on her mind. She seemed quiet…even pensive…..but he decided to wait it out and see if she would talk to him.

She shook her head affirmatively and gave him a small smile, "I'm ready."

They set off down the shoreline together for about a mile before making their way up to a road and settling into a comfortable pace. They ran for a while longer before Steve slowed down to a fast walk.

"Why are you stopping?" Stephanie asked as their pace slowed.

"We're not stopping," Steve answered. "Just slowing down for a minute." He grinned at her and tried to seem as un-threatening as possible. He knew he could be intimidating….His team had told him as much…..But, this was his_ daughter, _and he wanted her to feel comfortable talking to him. Steve was learning very quickly that Stephanie was just like him. All of her "tells" were just like his. Besides, her face was very expressive and he could see the worry there.

When she made no attempt to say anything else, Steve gently grabbed her arm turning her towards him and stopping them both. "You okay?"

She looked up to find his eyes searching her face and felt herself squirm under his scrutiny. It had been a very intense few days, and as far as he knew, she hadn't talked much about it to anyone. For a minute, she looked like she was going to say something, but then he saw her shut down as she turned away from him and focused her gaze forward again.

"I'm okay," she lied and gave him a half-hearted smile.

He knew she was lying.

"For future reference," he said his eyes never leaving hers, "You can't lie to me."

Stephanie swallowed the lump of emotion suddenly in her throat and tried to stay cool.

Steve's expression softened, "Look Steph, I read people for a living. It's what I _**do**_….so I know something is on your mind, but I'm not gonna push you."

He looked away and sighed before turning back to her, "I just want you to know that you can talk to me, okay?"

Stephanie still didn't trust herself to speak, so she just shook her head.

Steve decided to lighten the mood as he grinned at her again. "Okay….so wanna finish this run? It's another mile and a half back to the house. Can you do that?"

Stephanie offered him a self-assured grin. "Just try to keep up with me," she challenged before taking off ahead of him.

Steve recognized the cockiness for what it was: An attempt to mask whatever was on her mind, but that was okay, he reasoned. He would wear her down; After all, she seemed to be just like him.

They ran together until they rounded the corner and started on the road leading to the McGarrett house. Then they slowed down for the last quarter mile before reaching the house and walking up the front sidewalk. As Steve started to put the key into the lock, he noticed Stephanie had sat down on the step and pulled her knees up close to her chest; Another sign that something was troubling her.

Rather than unlocking the door, Steve sat down beside her.

It was time for a more direct approach.

He gently bumped her shoulder with his own, "Alright, sweetie…Spill it. Something is bothering you. You'll feel better if you talk about it. Trust me."

Steve saw her shoulders slump and her chin quivered. She took in a shaky breath. "I'm not ready to leave." Her voice was barely above a whisper and Steve felt his chest grow heavy. "I mean…..I only just _met_ you. And I know I've been a pain in the ass this week…."

Steve's eyebrows shot up at the expletive, but he let it slide.

"…..but I'm not ready to leave yet." She finished.

Steve knew the feeling. He wasn't ready for them to leave either, and although he and Maddie had talked a little about them moving to Hawaii, Steve didn't want to get Stephanie's hopes up until they had definite plans. "It's not forever, Steph. You'll be back…..And I'll come to see you whenever I can. We'll work something out."

Stephanie shook her head. "You don't understand." A tear slipped down her cheek. He could see she was fighting very hard not to cry and it broke his heart. "This isn't how I imagined meeting you at all….and like I said, I know I've caused a lot of trouble this week….and after all this trouble you probably would rather only see me every now and then…but that won't be enough for _me._"

Steve found himself hoping. Was it possible that both Maddie and Stephanie wanted what he wanted? Would it be possible for them to make a permanent move soon?

"Okay, first of all…..Most of what has happened the last few days wasn't your fault. You just got caught up in a bad situation, but that's over. Sneaking away to come here wasn't the safest thing to do…but I can't say I regret that you did it."

"I need more time." she whispered sadly.

"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

She turned to face him with tear filled eyes and decided to blurt it out before she lost her nerve. "I want you to talk Mom into moving to Hawaii."

Steve tried to tread carefully even though he wanted the same thing. "What about school? And what about your friends and modeling?"

Stephanie sighed heavily and stood up, "I know you think I haven't thought this through…..but I **have**. Ever since I found out who you were, I've wanted to meet you and spend time with you. Yes, I'd miss my friends, but they'll still _be there, _so we can FaceTime and stuff. And I can get modeling jobs here just as easy as I can in L.A. I've missed 15 years with you. I just don't want to miss anymore." Her eyes were pleading and Steve realized in that moment he would move the moon for her if she wanted it.

"_Please_, Daddy."

That did it; As much as Steve hated to admit it, Danny had been right and this girl…._**his**_ girl…..had turned him in to mush. In that moment, there was nothing more he wanted than to have Maddie and Stephanie in his life more permanently. Since Maddie had shared similar feelings the night before, he knew it probably wouldn't take much convincing on his part to make it happen. He didn't want to tell Stephanie that yet, though. Instead, he stood up and pulled her to him for a hug before kissing the top of her head, "We'll work it out, baby."

"Promise?" Stephanie's voice was muffled against his chest.

"I promise," he answered before turning to lead her into the house. "Now, let's get cleaned up so we can go."

She looked at him questionably, "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking my girls to breakfast."

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Stephanie made her way upstairs for a shower while Steve went to his bedroom expecting to find Maddie still sleeping. He was surprised to see she wasn't there, so he walked back downstairs where he stopped in his tracks when he saw her in the backyard.

What was that?...Yoga?

_Damn, she's limber!_ He thought as he watched her appreciatively. When his mind started to move towards inappropriate thoughts, he forced himself to be cool and moved outside. She heard him open the door and turned to face him.

A smile broke across her beautiful face rendering Steve speechless. After all these years, she still had the ability to stop him with a smile.

"So you found my note?" he asked as he approached her. While Stephanie had changed upstairs earlier, Steve had written a quick note to let Maddie know where they were going.

"Yep….I'm glad she went for a run with you this morning. I think she needed that."

Steve leaned down to kiss her, "So did I." Maddie's arms moved around his neck as he pulled her closer to deepen his kiss and he felt Maddie melt against him.

He loved holding her. No one had ever fit him as perfectly as Maddie.

"Where's Steph?" she asked breathlessly minutes later.

"Taking a shower and getting ready so I can take you both to breakfast. So we need to get cleaned up too."

Maddie looked at him mischievously, "Well, we can get ready more quickly if we take a shower together."

Steve's eyes heated, "You sure about that?"

"I promise to be good if you do."

They made their way back in the house where they managed to get into Steve's bathroom before Stephanie noticed. They both also 'behaved' while they took a quick shower together and got ready in record time.

Before heading out for breakfast, Steve said a silent prayer that nothing big would happen that day to pull him away from them. This was their last day together for a while and he wanted to make the best of it.


	24. Chapter 24

I've changed the rating on this story to an "M" due to some content in this chapter. Let me know what you think! Next chapter is in the works and will be posted shortly.

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Thankfully, it was a fairly uneventful day. Steve couldn't remember the last time he had hoped for a quiet day and actually saw it happen. He was able to keep his plans to take Maddie and Stephanie to breakfast and was happy when Stephanie ate a good breakfast without pouting about the calories involved. Steve was as much into eating healthy as the next person, but what they'd seen from Stephanie over the last few days had proven that they needed to keep a close eye on her. He'd be damned if his daughter was going to end up with an eating disorder. She would quit modeling before that happened. He would insist on it, if needed.

Seeing Stephanie eat….and hearing her laugh…..was one of the sweetest sounds Steve had ever heard. She may look like him, but she had Maddie's laugh and he loved it. He couldn't believe the way his life had changed in just a few short days since getting the email from Maddie saying she was in town again. It was a life-change he never could have expected, but felt fortunate to have happened.

After breakfast, Steve and Maddie dropped Stephanie off with a new surfboard where Nahale was waiting to teach her to surf. Steve still felt some apprehension about the situation. He loved Nahale, but seeing Steph with a guy…..even a kid he _knew_…..wasn't easy for him.

Nahale sensed Steve's apprehension and told him there was nothing to worry about. They were on a public beach with plenty of people around. It was popular with surfers and Steve knew it was a good place for Stephanie to start learning.

Stephanie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes before she could catch herself. She knew Steve didn't like the 'eye rolling' that was so natural for a teenage girl to do.

"Sorry, Dad," she offered him her sweetest smile hoping to smooth things over. "Can we surf now?" She asked, which Steve knew was 'code' for 'Get lost'.

He felt Maddie's hand on his arm, "Come on. Let's go do something together and leave them alone. Okay?"

They finally decided on a time to pick them up and left. Stephanie watched as her parents walked away hand0-in-hand and felt her heart twist. It was something she had wanted to see her entire life. Nahale soon broke her thoughts and started showing Stephanie the beginning steps of learning to surf.

Steve helped Maddie into the truck. When Maddie suggested somewhere they could go together, Steve just smiled at her. "I have something else in mind." She saw a familiar mischief in his eyes and decided to just see where he went. Much to Maddie's surprise, Steve drove them back to his house. She wasn't sure what was going on, but thought maybe he'd brought her back to give her time to pack for the trip she and Steph had back to L.A. the next morning.

Steve parked the truck in his driveway and looked towards Maddie. "Stay right where you are."

Maddie was getting more curious about the twinkle in his eyes and decided to play along. Steve got out of the truck and walked over to her side. As she unfastened her seatbelt, he opened the door and took her hand. She looked at him curiously.

Steve chuckled, "What's that look for?"

"You're opening the _**door**_ for me?"

Steve's expression grew serious again even though the familiar "twinkle" stayed in his eyes, "Are you kidding me? My Mom would have my ass in a sling if I didn't act like a gentleman."

Maddie smiled back at him.

"Besides," Steve said as he kept hold of her hand to help her out of the truck, "I have sixteen years to make up for, babe." He winked at her and Maddie felt the effect of that wink all the way to her core.

"Come on…." Steve said as he tugged her hand.

Maddie could understand the sentiment of having 'so many years to make up for'. After being away from Steve for so long, the last thing she wanted was _leave_ him…..or be _without him_ again. It made her heart hurt just to think about leaving the next day.

Still, she wondered what was going on and why they had come back to his house, "What are you up to, Steve McGarrett?"

"Would you relax?" he laughed. "Stephanie is with Nahale for a few hours, so we're going to take advantage of some time alone. That okay with you?"

She let Steve lead her into the house. The door had barely closed behind them before he pulled her into his arms and started kissing her senseless. Steve had always been a hell of a good kisser…That had only gotten better.

So good, in fact, it made her toes curl.

He pulled away once they got breathless and looked down at her, "I think we just need some uninterrupted time together," he whispered before coaxing her mouth open for him again.

Maddie began taking his t-shirt out of the waist of his pants with the need to touch him. The body she had loved as a teenage girl had been honed to perfection and it had taken nearly all the willpower she possessed in the last few days not to beg him to just walk around shirtless.

She giggled at the thought causing Steve to pull away and look at her, "Something funny?" he asked.

She looked up at him with big eyes. "Um….no….I mean, I was just thinking…..about…..uh….. how much I would love it…..if you could just walk around…shirtless….all the time." She blushed in spite of herself and took a deep breath, "But I guess that's an inappropriate thought for someone who is a 'mother', huh?"

Steve's eyes darkened with desire. "You may be a 'mother', Maddie….but you are the mother of MY baby. You're also a sexy as HELL woman," he grinned at her. His hands roamed downward until they reached the hem of her shirt. Before she could protest, Steve removed her tank-top and tossed it haphazardly onto the floor. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked up at him.

His eyes fixed unashamedly on the perfect breasts peaking out from the lacy bra she'd worn that morning.

Maddie was caught temporarily off guard as her thoughts fixed on one thing he'd said. "You think I'm _sexy_?"

Steve's brows creased as his hold on her tightened, "Are you kidding me?"

Maddie's eyes fell to focus on the t-shirt she was still trying to remove rather than looking him in the eyes.

Why did she feel so damn self-conscious?

_Maybe because he hasn't really seen me much since we were KIDS and I was a __**cheerleader,**_she reasoned. Lord knew she didn't have that "cheerleader body" anymore. Yeah, she'd kept herself in shape, but she wasn't what she use to be. And yes, they'd made love a couple of times over the last few days and it had been 'toe curling', to say the least. But Maddie assumed maybe Steve had been caught up in the moment. Could it be true that he wanted her back for good?

"Look at me, Maddie."

She didn't comply right away, so Steve let his hands roam even further until they reached her ass, squeezed, and lifted her so that her legs wrapped around his waist. It put her face right in front of his so she had nowhere else to look but into the crystal blue eyes she loved so much.

"If you don't know by now how beautiful I think you are, I guess I've done a terrible job of showing you the last few days. Guess I need to show__you _**now**_."

Holding tightly onto her, Steve let his eyes move downward to her chest and was suddenly struck with the need to taste her…..everywhere. He walked to the couch and sat down so she was straddling his lap. She moved her hands again to remove his shirt, but he grabbed her wrists and shook his head.

"Uh-uh," he said. When she looked at him confused, he said, "You first. I'm going to show you just how sexy I think you are, Madison Freeman."

Maddie was surprised her panties didn't burst into flames at the promise she heard in his voice. "But I need to touch you, too" she pouted.

Steve swatted her ass playfully. "You first." he repeated.

He shifted to lay her down on the couch and then moved his thighs between her knees. Holding her hands above her head, he began kissing a trail down her neck and chest until he reached the top edge of her bright pink lacy bra. It was so quintessentially Maddie: Part naughty, part sweet, and sexy enough to make it very difficult for him to take it slow. He was determined to spoil her, though. She needed to believe how beautiful she was to him.

Steve released one hand from around her wrists to reach down and open the front closure of her bra.

"You seem to be very experienced at that, sailor. Should that bother me?" she teased.

Steve just smiled. "Shhhh…" he said before he began to trail kisses down her body again.

The cool air in the room had barely touched her already peaked nipples before his mouth had taken her in for a taste. Her body arched underneath him as sensation took over. He was driving her wild and all she wanted…..all she needed….was to touch him in return. Steve was determined to make it 'all about her' at the moment, however, and would not be swayed off course. Moving from one breast to the other, he made sure to give equal attention to both sides before making his way further south across her ribs, her stomach, and her hips. When he reached the waist of her shorts, he looked up to see her watching him with lust filled eyes. He gave her a naughty grin before making quick work of unfastening and removing her shorts and panties. Maddie lay naked beneath him and completely at his mercy.

Steve stared at her for a moment openly admiring the beauty beneath him. Just before Maddie started to feel self-conscious again, he whispered…almost reverently…."Damn, your gorgeous, babe. I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at you."

Before Maddie could respond, Steve took her breath again and rendered her completely speechless when he began using his fingers and tongue to quickly bring her to one of the most powerful orgasms of her life.

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_Some time later…._

Steve and Maddie lay naked on the living room floor after a marathon session that had left them both breathless. Maddie couldn't remember a time in her life when she'd ever had so many orgasms at once. Of course, she also hadn't been one to 'experience' much in that department after Steve. She'd been busy putting herself through school and then raising a daughter. The few times she had tried to date someone as an adult, they had never measured up to Steve in her mind…..and the relationships quickly fizzled out.

"I can't believe I've missed out on this for so many years." She said breathlessly as she snuggled in to him. She felt Steve chuckle beneath her as her head rested against his chest and his hand stroked gently up and down her back.

"Tell me about it," he answered. "Guess I should've tried harder to find you, huh?"

After that statement, she felt him tense beneath her and knew he was thinking of the years he had missed with them. The guilt hit her again as she realized it was all her fault; She had chosen to keep him out.

But why? In this moment, she couldn't come up with a single reason. None of the excuses she'd given herself over the years no longer made sense. It made her heart hurt to think of all they'd missed.

They lied together silently before heaviness started to settle in Maddie's chest. She stroked her fingers over his chest mimicking what he was doing on her back and tried to soak in every moment she had left with him.

"I don't want to leave," she whispered finally.

Steve's hand stilled on her back and he pulled her up until she was laying on top looking down at him. He took his hands to move the hair back from her face. "I don't want you to leave either."

Tears started to fill her eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't cry, babe. We're going to figure it out." He said as his thumb wiped away a stray tear on her cheeks. He shifted slightly underneath her. "Let's go take a shower and get dressed. Then, we need to talk."


	25. Chapter 25

**Two chapters in one day….YAY! As always, let me know what you think. **

**And a special thanks to AquaBaby58, FicreaderT, and Avengers2015 for always giving me reviews! ;) You keep me going! **

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Steve and Maddie showered together which resulted in another love making session before dressing and making their way outside. Steve grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge before following Maddie outside and settling onto the hammock beside her. Maddie snuggled into him and they sat in silence for a few minutes before Steve decided it was time to get serious and talk some things through.

"Maddie, we need to talk, but before we do, I need to tell you something really important."

"Okay."

Maddie felt Steve take a deep breath as she rested her head on his chest. She could even hear his heartbeat going faster and wondered what he was going to say.

"I love you, Maddie. Truth is, I don't think I ever stopped….and now that you're back, you need to understand that I'm going to do whatever I can not to lose you again."

Maddie couldn't believe it. How was it possible that her wishes were finally coming true in spite of all the mistakes she'd made. Steve still loved her in spite of it all?

"I love you too," she whispered.

"Okay, so I need to make some things very clear. Right now." Steve's voice was full of certainty and resolve as he continued, "You know that Steph came running with me this morning, right?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, I could tell that something was bothering her, but I didn't want to force her to talk to me about it. I mean, I know what it's like to have something traumatic happen…..and eventually she's going to need to talk about it, but it may be too soon for that yet. I decided to just wait her out and we kept running."

"Okay," Maddie urged him on.

"So, we got back to the house and she sat down outside before I could open the door. I could tell by that point that something was really bothering her, so I sat down beside her and told her to talk to me."

Maddie leaned up and rested a hand on Steve's chest so she could look at him, "Is everything okay? Is _she_ okay?"

"She's fine, Mad. It's just that…Well, I hope you think this is good news." Steve shifted a little so he could look Maddie in the eyes, "Steph seems to be on the same train of thought as we are."

Maddie's brows creased, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that she asked me to talk you into moving back…._**here**_."

"She did?" Maddie was shocked. Not 'unhappy shocked', but 'surprised-shocked'. She had assumed Stephanie would throw a fit over leaving the friends she'd grown up with or moving to start over at another high school. "What did she say to you?"

"She said she wanted more time…..with _me_…..with _us_ as a **family**." Steve sighed heavily, "She told me she had missed fifteen years with me and didn't want to miss anymore."

Maddie's heart broke at that statement as Steve continued, "Then, she asked me to talk you into moving back."

"But what about school? What about her friends?"

Steve shook his head in understanding, "I asked her that too. Her answer was that she had thought it through…..even though we would assume she hadn't….and that she could stay in touch with her friends through 'FaceTime' or something like that." Steve smiled at her hopefully, "We could finally be a _family_, Maddie."

Maddie couldn't help it; Tears just started falling and there was nothing she could do to stop them. Steve didn't understand. Had he said something wrong?

"Hey….what's wrong, babe? Did I say something wrong?"

Maddie shook her head, "No…..no….of course not." She got out of the hammock, difficult as it was to do without falling flat on her ass, and saw Steve's bewildered look. He followed suit and stood up beside her. "Okay, so what's wrong? Why are you crying? Isn't this _good_ news? I mean, I want you back…..You said you want to move back…..and now we know that Stephanie won't take any convincing. We all want the same thing."

Maddie started to pace as tears continued to fall. "I've screwed everything up so badly, Steve. I messed up _your_ life….I messed up _her_ life…" Her voice was rising as Steve continued to stand and watch her. "And you just told me that you _still_ _**love**_ me. How can you possibly love me after finding all of this out? Why don't you **hate** me? I deserve for you to **hate** me. I mean, I kept you apart all these years and now….."

She took a deep breath, stood up rim-rod straight, wiped the tears from her cheeks and said resolutely, "I need to go for a walk."

Steve wasn't having it. As soon as she started walking towards the shoreline, he stepped forward and grabbed her arm firmly to turn her around, "Dammit, Maddie….Stop! You are **not** going to do this to me again."

"Do **what** again?" she asked angrily as she tried to free her arm from his grasp. Unfortunately for her, Steve wouldn't let go which forced her to stay put.

"You are not going to _walk away from me_. That's what you always use to do when we argued: You would just clam up and try to walk away."

Maddie's shoulders slumped. "And you never would let me," she said softly. "You always insisted that we talk it out."

"Well, guess what? Nothing has changed." Steve's voice was firm "You're _not_ going to close up….You're _not_ going to walk away…..and we _**are**_ talking through this. Right _now._ Do you understand me?"

Maddie couldn't speak over the lump in her throat, so she just shook her head in agreement.

"Good." Steve put his arms around her effectively stopping any attempts she may try to get away. "Now listen to me. We both have regrets, baby….I mean, I stayed away years longer than I had to. After the naval academy, I went into the Navy. Then, I went into the SEALs program. I just kept going and going. Do you think I haven't blamed myself at least a thousand times for my dad's death?"

Maddie leaned back to look up at him and saw the torture in his eyes. "Steve, you can't think that that was your fault!"

He sat down in the chair that was close by and pulled Maddie onto his lap with his arms around her. "I know that here," he pointed to his head. "But not _here_," he pointed to his heart. For the first time since she'd been back in Hawaii, Maddie saw the pain John McGarrett's death had caused him. Steve's eyes started to fill with unshed tears and Maddie knew with certainty he was showing her a side of himself he rarely, if ever, let go anymore.

"If I wouldn't have been trying to apprehend an international terrorist, maybe my dad would still be alive. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about that, Mad…and I would give anything…..anything…for one more day with him."

Maddie's heart broke again; This time for Steve and all the pain he'd been through after thinking he'd lost his mother, being separated from Mary, and then losing his father. She could understand his deep need for a family of his own. And she wanted to give him that; More than anything. She just had to get past her own feelings of guilty first.

Maddie leaned down to kiss away a tear that had managed to fight it's way down Steve's cheek. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

Steve took a deep breath and she saw him pulling emotions back in. "The thing is…we all have things we would've done differently. But I've learned that we can't think about the 'what ifs' all the time. You….and me…..and Stephanie…..We've been given a second chance, Maddie-girl. You're just going to have to accept that I'm not letting you go."

Maddie felt as if her heart would burst inside her chest. "Okay." She smiled at her man.

"Okay?" he asked hopefully.

"Yep….Let's do it!"

Steve laughed as he stood up to swing Maddie around before leaning down to kiss her….thoroughly. "You won't regret this, baby."

"I know…..But you are going to have to give us a couple of weeks to wrap some things up in L.A."

"Like what?"

"Well, I need to give notice at my job for one. And I'll need to get Stephanie squared away at school so she can transfer. And then the house will have to be put up for sale…..And we have to pack….."

Steve stopped her with a kiss. "Okay, I'll give you two weeks. Whatever isn't ready after that will have to wait. If you're ass isn't on a plane with our daughter by that time, I'm coming to get you. Understand me, young lady?"

"Damn, your sexy when you're being all bossy."

Steve laughed. "Just remember what I said. Two weeks, Mad."

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Maddie and Steve made their way back into the house to make some lunch. After their marathon love session and then the emotional discussion they'd had afterwards, they were both starving.

Steve got a call from Danny just as he and Maddie were finishing their sandwhiches.

"Sorry to bother you, buddy, but we just got the call. We're ready to move when you are."

Steve gave Maddie an apologetic look as he listened to Danny giving details. The information Ivan Belitrov had given to them on Diana Reynolds' sister's whereabouts had been true. However, it hadn't been as easy as they thought to get access to her. It was a volatile situation that had required some surveillance and strategizing on how to proceed. Steve had been in constant contact with his team since it happened and had told Danny to call him as soon as they were ready to proceed.

This would be a rescue mission that had the possibility of getting out of control very easily. Steve had to be there. After he got the address, he filled Maddie in and led her out to the truck. Maddie called Stephanie to tell her they were going to be a little later than planned to pick her up since Steve had something to take care of.

"Mom, I would love to stay here longer…..but Nahale has to be at work in an hour. Want me to just hang out here until you're done? "

Maddie looked at Steve and told him what was going on. Steve shook his head. "I don't want her there by herself. Have Nahale take her with him to Kamekona's. I'll call Kame and let him know that we'll meet her there later."

"Can't he just bring her to us?" Maddie asked.

Steve looked at her as if she were crazy, "It's a hostage situation, Maddie. I don't want her anywhere near there."

Maddie shook her head, "Sorry…..Stupid question. I wasn't thinking."

Unfortunately, Steve knew this was something she was going to have to get use to if they were going to be together; The unpredictability of a schedule and seeing him in dangerous situations was part of the job. But he knew his Maddie was tough enough to handle it.

Or at least he hoped so.

"It's okay….I understand," he smiled at Maddie. "I'll call Kamekona now and tell him what's going on."

After settling things with Kamekona, they continued to make their way to the crime scene where the SWAT team was already en route as well. Danny had relayed that their surveillance had proven successful and there was no doubt Danielle Reynolds was inside. The plan was to keep SWAT far enough away to go unnoticed unless they were needed. Steve wanted to take the kidnappers by surprise and hopefully get her out without incident.

He turned down the road leading to the neighborhood where the suspects were hiding out. It looked like a typical suburban neighborhood and Maddie had to wonder if any of the people living there knew there were psychopaths living among them? It was scary to think about.

Steve saw Grover's vehicle first and pulled in behind him before shutting off the engine. He quickly stepped out of his truck with Maddie right behind him before he could stop her. He shot her a look of disapproval…..which she ignored.

"Sorry about this, man." Grover said as he reached them, "I'm sorry to cut into your time with your girls."

Maddie's heart melted at the words as she realized that must be how Steve referred to her and Stephanie to his team. They were his "girls". It was such a simple endearment but it did funny things to her heart just hearing someone say it.

"If there was any other way….." Grover continued, but Steve interrupted him.

"It's okay, Lou. Hopefully, this won't take long. So fill me in….What have we got?"

Chin, Kono, and Danny soon followed and the team discussed the current situation. Maddie was impressed with the amount of knowledge they'd been able to surveil in such a short time: They knew how many men were inside, the names of them all, possible weapons they had with them, and even a floorplan of the house marked with the possible location of where Danielle was being held. Someone had also had eyes on the house long enough to know that Danielle wasn't being harmed, but did appear to be heavily medicated….just like the other girls.

Within minutes, they had a plan of attack.

Steve started putting on his Kevlar vest and the thigh holsters that would hold his weapons. He saw the look in Maddie's eyes as she watched him and couldn't help but grin remembering what she had said the first time she'd seen him "suit up" like this. He led her back to the passenger side door of the truck and gave her a quick kiss. "Stay in the truck, Maddie. You are NOT to come out of this truck until I get back. Understand?"

She saluted him smartly, "Yes sir, Commander."

"I mean it….You're in big trouble when I get back if you're out of this truck," he teased her with a twinkle in his eyes.

He opened the door for her as she got inside. Then she watched as he walked away with the rest of his team in full-on bad ass mode. She said a prayer that things would turn out okay and Danielle would be rescued without incident.


	26. Chapter 26

_Meanwhile with Stephanie and Nahale…._

Nahale put their surfboards in the back of his truck while Stephanie got in and buckled up. They didn't have much time before Nahale had to be at work with Kamekona so rather than going by his apartment to take a shower, he drove them straight to the shrimp truck.

"Sorry if I've made you late," Stephanie apologized. "I guess we lost track of time."

"No worries," Nahale smiled at her. "It was fun. And you're doing great, by the way. A few more lessons and you'll be surfing like a native Hawaiian."

Stephanie blushed at the compliment, "Well, maybe not _that_ good, but it _is_ fun. Hopefully I'll be able to do more of it when we move here."

Nahale was caught by surprise. He didn't know if this was something Stephanie wanted or if it was something her Mom had decided for both of them. Either way, he would be happy to have her in Hawaii full time. "You're _moving_ here? That's great! When?"

"Ummm….. I don't know for sure if we **are** moving…._yet_….but I _hope_ we are. I mean, I talked to Steve about it this morning and asked him to talk my mom into it…..or at least _try_ to….so I guess we'll see what happens."

She looked back out at the ocean as they drove.

It was so beautiful in Hawaii.

She could definitely imagine herself living there full-time.

As much as Stephanie loved her Mom, she had always wanted a DAD too. Even her friends who had _divorced _parents knew who _both_ their parents were. She, on the other hand, had felt like a complete outsider most of her life because she didn't have that same luxury. She'd never known anything about her dad, and had learned at an early age not to ask too many questions because those questions would always make her mom sad.

But she had _imagined_ what her dad might be like.

The parts of her that were different from her Mom?-Yeah, she figured those were traits she had inherited from "him"….

….whoever he was.

And she'd always longed for a "connection" with that missing part of herself. She somehow felt incomplete without it.

Stephanie knew that Maddie had done what she thought was right, but Stephanie had come to an age where she _had to know_ where the "other half of her" came from. With the little knowledge she'd been able to glean from Maddie, Stephanie was able to find out her father had also lived in Hawaii. She'd done the math and figured out her parents must have been 'high school sweethearts'; Which meant _she_ was the result of a "teenage pregnancy". It didn't take much to research online and figure out the rest of the details to fill in the blanks; Especially for a 21st century teenager.

Apparently, her dad's name was STEVE McGarrett and he'd moved BACK to Hawaii within the last few years. He was also the Commander of an elite task force that worked directly with the Governor of Hawaii's office.

Tough stuff….no doubt…..but none of that really mattered to Stephanie. She just wanted to know HIM.

True….it hadn't been her smartest moment to forge her mom's signature, hop on a plane, and take a modeling job in Hawaii….but Stephanie had to know him, see him, or at least **meet** him.

Somehow.

She'd never imagined things would transpire as they had, but here she was. And in this moment, there was nothing she wanted more in the world than to have her Mom AND her Dad together again.

As she thought about all of these things, she sat quietly beside Nahale in the truck.

"It feels funny to say '_my __**dad**_'", Stephanie admitted to Nahale. "It's actually kinda weird to finally _**have**_a dad, ya know? I mean, I've spent my whole life _without_ him, so now that I've met him and have him in my life, it's..."

She took a deep breath.

"I just don't want to lose him now that I've finally met him. I love my Mom more than anything, but I also feel like I've missed so much time with _Steve_."

Nahale reached over to take her hand. The gesture wasn't meant to be anything other than a show of support even if they did both feel a little "sizzle" flow between them when their hands touched.

"Look, Steph….I would give anything to have a chance like this with _**my **_dad. He was never around much when I was a kid. And when he _was_ around…..Well, let's just say it wasn't what I wanted from a dad. He was always in trouble and never stayed around for very long."

Stephanie felt like a complete idiot; Nahale had just _lost_ **his** father and here she was talking about how she wanted to get to know _her_ father better.

She felt incredibly selfish.

She squeezed his hand. "Nahale, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to….."

"It's ok," he stopped her and shrugged his shoulder. "Like I said, he was never much of a dad anyway. I'm just telling you that I know what it's like to not have a dad around. Mine was never around because he was a criminal. But _your_ dad…" Nahale sighed before smiling over at her. "Steve's a good guy, Steph. A _great_ guy actually. I don't even wanna think about where I would be right now if he wouldn't have come into my life when he did."

He let out a half-hearted laugh, "I mean, my first real 'crime' was when I _stole_ the car of the **Commander** of _**Five-0**_! Talk about a bad decision!"

Stephanie giggled and he smiled over at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

"Steve could've thrown my ass in jail _**so**__ fast_. But he **didn't**. He gave me a chance no one else would've given me. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that you couldn't have asked for a better man to be your dad. _Trust me. _You seriously struck the lottery on this one. I really hope it works out for you and your mom to move here permanently."

"Thanks," Stephanie smiled at him again. "Me too. I have a feeling Steve can be a real hard ass….but….."

"BUT," Nahale interrupted her again, "He would always want what's _**best **_for you. Trust me on that." He winked at her and Stephanie felt mushy inside as she thought about what a great smile he had.

"Don't worry. It'll work out." Nahale said as he pulled his truck up by the shrimp truck and turned it off.

Kamekona saw them pulling up and came out of the truck to greet them. After initial greetings, Nahale went inside to get to work and Kamekona stepped inside briefly to grab a plate of food in hand.

"You hungry, little sistah? I hear you've been surfing all morning. I heard the lemon butter is your favorite…..so let me tell you, _no one _makes it better than **me**."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her as he held out the tray of food. Stephanie laughed and Kamekona was struck again with how much she favored Steve.

"That would be great. How much do I owe you?" She reached into the pocket of her shorts to pull out some money, but Kame stopped her.

"Uh-uh…..My treat," he insisted

Stephanie looked confused. "Huh? Steve said…." She stopped herself before saying more when she realized it might not be wise to tell the man how Steve and Danny had both talked about what a cheapskate Kame could be.

"He said _what?_" Kamekona asked curiously.

She offered him her sweetest smile as she reached for the plate of food. Her stomach was growling….big time…..and the food smelled delicious. "Oh nothing. Never mind….Maybe my mom or dad can pay you when they get here."

Kamekona walked with her over to a picnic table as she sat down to eat. "No worries, sistah. You are the daughter of 'the great warrior, McGarrett', so that makes you **Ohana.**"

Stephanie giggled again. "What do you mean, he's a 'great warrior'? And what exactly is 'Ohana'?"

Kame sat down across from her at the table and took one of her hands in his own. It was a sweet and sincere gesture that had Stephanie focusing on him intently.

"Let me tell you about your dad, Stephanie _McGarrett_. "

He looked out towards the ocean as if trying to put into words what he was thinking.

"McGarrett is…" He looked back towards Stephanie and she saw a sincerity in his eyes that rendered her speechless. "He is a _**tough **_guy….A _real _**bad ass** mother-fu….." he stopped himself and glanced over at her to apologize before completing the phrase. "Sorry."

She smiled at him, "I get your point, Kame. So what else?"

"So like I said, Steve is a bad-ass tough-guy. He's the real deal, no doubt about it. BUT…..he also has a heart of gold. If he loves someone, he really _**loves **_them. And let me tell you, little sistah, there is NOTHING McGarrett won't do to protect the people he loves…..which means there is nothing he won't do for YOU. Besides, YOU are his keiki…."

When Stephanie looked at him with raised eyebrows again, he explained. "'Keiki' is Hawaiian for 'child' or 'baby'. YOU are his baby, little sistah, so there will be _nothing_ he won't do for you. And that goes for the rest of the us, too. Understand?"

He saw Stephanie swallow as her eyes got misty and a lump of emotion was in her throat. All she could do was shake her head in agreement.

"As for 'Ohana'? Well, that is Hawaiian for 'family'. You and your momma are family to all of us now."

Stephanie was too moved to speak. It all sounded so good; Especially since it had always been just her and her Mom.

Kamekona kept her in lighthearted conversation while she ate. When Kamekona's phone rang a little while later, he excused himself to answer it before coming back to her at the table. "Your mom and dad are on their way."

Stephanie looked at him expectantly, "Did everything go okay? Is my dad okay?"

"Everything went fine….I think they found the girl they were looking for and everything is gonna be okay."

Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief. "What a mess this has been," she said sadly.

"No worries, Stephanie. It's all going to work out."

She smiled at him, "That's the same thing Nahale told me."

"Well, Nahale is a smart kid."


	27. Chapter 27

Steve, Maddie, and Stephanie returned to the McGarrett home by late afternoon.

Stephanie went upstairs to take a shower. As soon as she was out of earshot, Steve asked Maddie, "So, when can we talk to her about our plans?"

Maddie put her arms around his neck and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I don't want to leave you."

Not exactly the answer Steve was looking for, but he was happy to have her in his arms nonetheless. "You didn't answer my question, Maddie." He kissed her again simply because he couldn't resist. "When can we tell her you're both moving here?"

"Let's talk to her over dinner. We still have to pack and get ready for our flight tomorrow….so maybe it will make it easier on both of us to know we're coming back to you soon."

Steve tightened his hold on her and held her close. He leaned down to breathe in the scent of her shampoo and committed it to memory. "Not soon enough."

Maddie finally reluctantly made her was out of Steve's arms and headed for the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked.

"Going to see what I can make for dinner."

Steve stalked towards her and took her hand. "Not tonight," he demanded with determination in his eyes.

Maddie gave him a curious glance, "Uh….okay….so what are we gonna eat?"

"I'm making dinner tonight."

"You?" Maddie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You can cook?"

"You wound me with your confidence in me. You don't think I can cook?" Steve feigned hurt by putting his hand over his heart as if his feelings were hurt. There was a spark in his eyes that told Maddie he was teasing, though.

"I didn't mean it that way," she tried to apologize.

His grin widened as he looked at her…..still trying to comprehend his luck that she had come back into his life. "I'm just kidding. And as much as I hate to say this, _you_ should probably go pack. _I'll _start dinner. Okay? Do steaks sound okay?"

"Steak sounds great," Maddie answered. "I'm starving."

He turned her and gently pushed her towards the stairs, "Go….I'll take care of dinner."

Maddie took the first couple of steps before looking over her shoulder at him, "Did I ever tell you how sexy you are when you're bossy?"

Stephanie picked that moment to come out of the bathroom and start walking across the hallway towards her room. Hearing the exchange, she couldn't help but walk to the top of the stairs and look down towards her parents. "Oh my gosh…..Seriously?"

Steve and Maddie both chuckled as Maddie looked up at her daughter, "You said you wanted us to be together, sweetie. Better get used to it."

Stephanie looked from her Mom to Steve and rolled her eyes. "Yeah…well…I wasn't thinking about _this_ part."

"You really do have a thing with rolling your eyes, don't you?" Steve cocked an eyebrow as he smiled at her.

"Welcome to the world of teenage girls." Maddie answered as she continued making her way upstairs to pack.

"Wanna come help me with dinner, Steph?" Steve asked. Although Maddie knew Stephanie needed to pack her own things, she didn't want to deny Steve the extra time with their daughter. Hopefully soon it would be permanent and there would be no more separations for them.

It wasn't long before the tempting smell of steaks on a grill was making it's way through the house to tease Maddie's senses. Before closing up her suitcase, she grabbed one of Steve's shirts out of the closet and quickly folded it to take with her. It was going to feel like the longest two weeks of her life and she needed to feel close to him in some tangible way. Some might consider it too school-girlish, but Maddie didn't care.

She made her way downstairs and found Steve and Stephanie sitting on the lanai as the steaks continued to grill. She couldn't help but overhear them as she made her way through the dining room.

"So anyway, thanks for all you did for me. I mean…you saved my life."

Steve shrugged, "Just doing my job."

"Yeah, but still….I sorta brought this trouble TO you….and I want you to know that I'm sorry."

Steve reached a finger up to tap her nose affectionately, "Don't apologize. It all worked out. Besides, not only did I get to meet _you_, but you brought your _mom_ back into my life…..and I'm grateful for that."

Steve heard Maddie approaching and turned in her direction as she made her way out to join them.

Within a few minutes, they had the food on the table and sat down to eat together. It was the first time the three of them had been alone to eat and Steve felt his heart constricting with the emotion of the moment. He quickly clamped it down though and continued with some small talk.

After he'd given Maddie a couple of pointed "looks", she took a deep breath. "So Steph, we have something we want to talk to you about, sweetie."

Stephanie looked up from cutting her steak as her gaze moved from Maddie to Steve. She looked back towards her Mom. "What is it?"

"Well, Steve and I have been talking…..and I was wondering what you would think of moving here?"

Stephanie's eyes grew wide and she put down her fork. "Here? As in _**here**_…to **Hawaii**?"

She looked over at Steve and saw him wink at her. Could it really be that easy?

"Yes," Maddie confirmed. "We still have Poppy and Nana's house, so I think it's time we move back. You know…..so you and Steve could spend time together."

Steve knew there was more to it than that because he had every intention of spending as much time with Maddie, as well. And as for her parent's house, he wanted that to be a temporary arrangement. If things went the way he hoped they would, the would be living _together_…..as a _family_…..very soon.

Stephanie still didn't want to believe it, "Are you serious? Please tell me your serious."

Maddie chuckled. "I wouldn't tease you about something like this, honey."

Stephanie shrieked and jumped up to come around the table and hug her Mom. Then she turned to Steve and gave him one too…..along with a big kiss on the cheek. "This is gonna be great!"

"But first," Maddie interrupted, "We have to go back home for a couple of weeks."

Stephanie stood back up from hugging Steve. "What? Why?"

"We can't stay here yet, honey. There are things I need to take care of before we can move. I'll need to get someone to list the house…..We'll need to notify the school and get your records to bring here…..and I'll have to let them know I'll be resigning my position."

Stephanie's face fell and Steve reached to stroke her upper back soothingly, "It's only a couple of weeks, Steph. You'll be back before you know it."

*************h50*********************h50*********************h50

_6:30 a.m._

Steve drove Maddie and Stephanie to the airport bright and early. Rather than dropping them off and leaving, he parked the truck and helped with their luggage into the airport. After they had checked in for their flight, they headed towards security. Normally, non-fliers would have to say "goodbyes" to family and friends at the security gate rather than proceeding any further. However, Steve flashed his badge to the TSA Agent to get through and follow his girls on through.

The TSA Agent smiled at Steve flirtatiously completely ignoring Maddie and Stephanie as she did so. "Commander McGarrett, what brings you here today?" She tried to be nonchalant as she looked him up and down appreciatively.

Steve's smile was friendly, "Just dropping off my family. I'd like to go on through _with them_ until their flight leaves, if that's okay."

She looked from Maddie to Stephanie. "Oh? Cousins?" she asked as if trying to gauge who these women were to the Commander.

Stephanie's ever present sarcasm came out before Steve could respond. "Seriously?" She waited for the TSA agent to turn in her direction. "I'm his _daughter_," she said pointing to herself.

The agent's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Daughter?"

"Yes, this is my daughter, Stephanie." Steve moved to put an arm around Maddie, "And my girlfriend, Maddie."

Maddie felt the pleasure all the way to her toes. They hadn't discussed their relationship status, so hearing Steve verbalize what she had hoped for made her ecstatic. She didn't say anything though and maintained her composure even though she was jumping up and down on the inside. She looked up at Steve appreciatively and saw him smiling down at her before he turned back to the agent.

"So, we need to get through," he continued, "if you can just finish up?"

The disappointment on her face was palpable, but she remained professional and got back to business. "Of course, Commander. My apologies…..I'll get you all right through."

After making their way through security, Stephanie wasted no time speaking her mind. "Seriously…does that happen all the time?"

"What?" Steve asked obviously confused.

"Oh please. Didn't you see her flirting with you? She was totally eye humping you…"

"Stephanie Michelle!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Sorry..." Stephanie hadn't been able to stop herself, but to her credit she looked as embarrassed as Maddie at what had just popped out of her mouth. Maddie had always said her daughter didn't have much of a "filter" when something was on her mind.

Steve couldn't help but chuckle. She definitely had "McGarrett" in her blood. "Okay first of all….watch your mouth," he scolded her gently. "And second, _no_….that doesn't happen all the time."

"Oh I seriously doubt that," Maddie piped in.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve asked.

"I remember how it was in high school. We would walk down the hall and every girl we passed…..and I do mean _every_ girl…would watch you walk by."

"I think you're exaggerating, Mad."

"No….no I'm not. It was absolutely true." Steve saw the teasing glint in her eyes.

"Well, it didn't matter," he put an arm around her as they continued walking and said. "You were the only girl _I_ saw."

The next hour passed too quickly, and before they knew it, it was time to board the plane to Los Angeles.

Steve pulled Stephanie to him first. He felt his daughter's arms go around him and hold him tighter than she ever had before. Steve leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "It's only two weeks, honey. You'll be back here before you know it."

Stephanie looked up at him with tear filled eyes and Steve felt his heart break. He offered her a reassuring smile before hugging her tightly again, "Just two weeks."

Letting her go, he turned towards Maddie. She was trying to be brave…..He could see it all over her face…but he also saw her reluctance to leave. She walked into his arms and held onto him until she heard the last boarding call for their flight. She leaned up to look at him, "Guess that's our cue to go."

Steve took her face in his hands and kissed her as if it would be the last time he would ever see her. In truth, two weeks was going to feel like an eternity even though he had tried to downplay it with Stephanie. When they finally broke away, Maddie reached down to get her bag and she and Stephanie made their way to the gate.

They turned around for one more glance at Steve before walking down the tarmac and out of sight.

***************h50*****************h50****************h50

_Several hours later…_

It had been a slow morning for Five-0. On a normal day, that would be a good thing, but not today. Steve wasn't known for his patience and waiting on Maddie to call to let him know they had arrived safely in L.A. was driving him crazy. Danny had been watching from his office window and finally couldn't take it anymore. He made his way across the hall and peaked his head into Steve's office.

"Would you please relax? You're stressing me out just watching you."

Steve looked annoyed, but didn't say anything in response. Danny decided to take a softer approach.

"She said she'll call when they land, right?"

Steve shook his head and Danny looked at his watch, "Okay….so they have another hour or so before they get in. Let's go grab some lunch. Come on."

Steve was grateful for the opportunity to have a distraction even though he doubted it would work. He grabbed his phone to put in his pocket and followed Danny out to get some lunch.

**************h50******************h50******************h50

**I may try to wrap this story up within a couple more chapters. The response has gone down…..which usually tells me people have lost interest. (smile) SO, I'll try to wrap it up and see if I can come up with another story. Enjoy! :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**This chapter has been EDITED and added to! Sorry about that.  
I've also added Chapter 29….so two chapters in one day. YAY!  
*************h50**************h50**********************h50

Maddie called while Steve and Danny were having lunch together. Steve thought he would be happy to hear her voice again, but it only made his heart ache a little knowing she was so far away. They had a brief conversation that ended with a promise to talk more when Steve got home that night. He ended the call and noticed Danny giving him a "look".

"What's that look for?" he asked grumpily.

"What look? I don't have a 'look'."

Steve rolled his eyes, "You know how you say I have these certain looks? Well, I hate to tell ya, Danny, but you have them too. And the look you're giving me right now means you have something on your mind. So _what is it_?"

Danny didn't say anything right away which was surprising since he never seemed to be at a loss for words. He looked at Steve long and hard before Steve noticed his expression softening. Danny looked away for a moment before turning back to look at his friend.

"You know I want you to be happy…..and I've always got your back…..right?"

Steve's eyebrows shot up as he smiled at Danny, "Yeah, except for when you're arguing with me. Which is most of the time." He took a drink of his coconut water still grinning.

"I'm trying to be serious here."

"Okay….okay….sorry," Steve answered apologetically. "Go on."

Danny sighed, "I just hope you know what you're doing."

Steve brows furrowed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Danny put his hands up, "Don't get defensive…..because that's what you always do. I'm just saying that I _hope you know_ what you're doing with Maddie. I know she's your high school sweetheart and all, but…"

"I never stopped loving her, Danny." Steve voice was uncharacteristically soft as he interrupted Danny and looked towards the ocean. When Danny didn't say anything, he continued. "I know it sounds crazy, but I never _forgot_ her…..I never got _over_ her…and I never stopped thinking about the _'what ifs'_". He turned back towards Danny. "I know you're probably thinking it's crazy for me to ask them to move back here, but…."

This time it was Danny's turn to interrupt, "_**But**_…..I'm happy for you. _Really_….I am. I just don't want to see you get hurt. I mean, you and Maddie haven't been together for a long time. You've probably both changed a LOT since then. Not to mention, she kept a pretty big secret from you for almost 16 years."

Steve stopped him. "Let me ask you something: Is there anything…..I mean _**anything**_….that would stop you from spending time with Gracie and Charlie?"

"Of course not."

"_Okay_, so now I'm asking you to _**trust me**_. I know what I'm doing. I want to get to know my daughter…..and I _need_ Maddie in my life again."

Danny had known Steve long enough to have a pretty good instinct about when he was being truthful, and everything in him at that moment said Steve was ready for a family of his own even if it was by unconventional means. He had also noticed a much softer side of Steve since Maddie and Stephanie had shown up. He offered Steve a big, genuine smile.

"I'm happy for you, buddy. I mean that." Danny said as he reached over to clap Steve on the shoulder.

************h50*******************h50*******************h50

Steve finished out the week and even managed to make it through the following weekend before he felt as if he was going crazy.

He missed his girls.

How was he possibly going to make it through the next several days without them? They talked on the phone every night and even did quite a bit of "FaceTime" but it wasn't good enough.

At work the following Monday, Steve paused doing some routine paperwork when he noticed the date.

It was November 15th.

Maddie's birthday was on November _17__th_ and damned if he hadn't thought about her on every single November _17th_ since he'd had to leave her.

He made an impulsive decision and quickly got online to find a plane ticket to L.A. As far as he was concerned, Maddie wouldn't spend another birthday without him.

*************h50***************h50**********************h50

_Two days later…._

Steve's flight arrived at LAX on time which was a miracle considering how many flights into that airport were delayed for one reason or another. He exited the plane and made his way out with the other passengers and was happy to see Stephanie and a friend of hers waiting for him. She walked up to him quickly and threw her arms around his neck for a hug.

"Mom's gonna be so excited!" she said happily. "I can't believe you flew here for her birthday! We've missed you."

Steve returned the hug and kissed her cheek, "I've missed you too."

"She's going to kill me if she finds out I left school early."

Steve chuckled, "No, she's probably going to kill ME too for letting you girls drive to the airport by yourself."

Stephanie smiled up at him, "Something tells me we'll be forgiven. After all, you're here to celebrate her birthday!"

She introduced Steve to her friend Jessica who was not only one of Steph's best friends, but who also had her own car. The girls had both skipped out after lunch to meet Steve at the airport. Steve wasn't sure yet how he was going to explain that one to Maddie, but hoped that his charm would be all it took to gain her forgiveness.

Jessica gave Steve a friendly smile as she reached a hand out to shake his hand, "It's nice to meet you, sir. Stephanie's told me a lot about you."

He stole a glance at Stephanie, "Hopefully all _good_ things?"

"Of course," Jessica answered with a laugh.

Steve looked at his watch and realized they only had a couple of hours before Maddie would be home from work. If he was going to make up the surprise he'd panned, they needed to hurry. After getting his things into Jessica's car, he moved to get behind the wheel. Jessica tried to protest, but realized quickly she wouldn't win the argument. It became very apparent to her that, while this may be her car, _Steve McGarrett_ would be the one driving them home.

"Sorry, kiddo," Steve said with a wink, "_I'm_ driving." He reached out his hand for the keys which Jessica dutifully placed into his palm.

"Told you so," Stephanie laughed as she looked over at Jess. It was obvious to Steve that his daughter must have told her there was no way he would 'ride shotgun' and let teenagers drive him around; After all, he rarely even let Danny drive.

It was a 'control thing' Stephanie explained. Jessica looked between both of them before giggling and looking back at Stephanie, "So _that's_ where you get it from!" .

Jessica moved to get into the tiny back seat of her Volkswagon Beetle and Stephanie got up front beside her dad. Seeing Steve struggling to squeeze his 6'1" frame behind the wheel of such a small car was comical. He moved the seat back as far as it would go, but it was still a tight fit. The girls couldn't help but chuckle at his predicament. Steve gave them a playful scowl and rolled his eyes.

"My gosh, Steph…Even your 'eye roll' is like your dad's!"

Steve may not like the fact that Stephanie had a teenager-ish 'eye roll', but he was almost proud that it was like his.

They made a stop at a grocery store since Steve planned to make dinner that night. Then, they made a final stop at a local florist to pick up a bouquet of Maddie's favorite flowers. As the florist arranged the flowers into a pretty vase, the girls walked around the shop.

"I can't believe he's getting your Mom _flowers_." Jessica whispered. "I thought you said he was this hard ass alpha-male."

"He _is_ ," Stephanie whispered back. "I mean, he used to be a Navy SEAL, for Pete's sake. AND he's a 'Lieutenant Commander'…..so I think that's pretty high up." She looked over to find Steve watching them as he gave her a quick wink. "He also has a soft side, though. And it's obvious he and my mom still have a thing for each other."

"Well, I think it's super sweet…..and _**romantic**_ that he's surprising her and making dinner for her birthday." Jessica let out a little sigh. "Plus, he's friggin' gorgeous."

Steph lightly punched her arm, "Seriously? _You too_? I mean, he's my _dad._"

Jess smiled at her friend, "I know….and I'm sorry….but seriously, girlfriend. You lucked out in the gene department. Just sayin'". She reached out to hug the friend she'd known since they met the first day of kindergarten. "I'm happy for you, Steph. I really am…..He seems like a good guy."

The threesome made their way back to Maddie and Stephanie's house. The girls left together to go to Jess' house for the night and Steve started dinner preparations. He had an hour to go before she got home.

***********h50****************h50******************h50

_6:30 p.m….._

Maddie walked into her house to the smell of garlic and baked bread. "Steph….." she called out. "I'm home!" Curiosity overtook her as she made her way towards the kitchen. She rounded the corner and gasped in surprise at the sight of Steve standing at her kitchen island. He was wearing a blue dress shirt and black pants.

_He's always looked __**amazing **__in blue,_ she thought to herself.

It matched his eyes.

Standing before her at that moment, he was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen as he poured them each a glass of wine. He looked up at her and smiled.

It had only been a few days, but dear God, she'd missed that smile.

He lifted one of the glasses up as if toasting her. "Happy birthday, Maddie-girl."

Her purse fell at her feet and her mouth gaped. "Wh…..What are you….._**doing**_ here?"

"It's your birthday," he said as he picked up the glasses and walked towards her. "You didn't think I would forget your _**birthday**_, did you?"

She still looked stunned. "Did…..um…did _Stephanie_…tell you?"

He put a hand to his heart as if his feelings were hurt. His eyes told her otherwise, though. There was a very familiar twinkle in his eyes that warmed her to her toes.

"I remembered on my own," he said as he handed her a glass and took a sip of his own. "I've _always_ remembered….._Every_. Single. Year."

He saw her swallow as her eyes grew a little misty.

He took another step towards her. "No matter where I was or what I was doing, November 17th was a day you came to my mind." He used his free arm to pull her towards him and leaned down to kiss her. After what turned into a wonderful "hello" kiss, they reluctantly pulled apart.

"Never again," Steve whispered as he put his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

Maddie leaned back to turn her big, beautiful, hazel eyes up to him, "What do you mean?"

"I'm never missing another birthday." Steve answered.

"And…..Stephanie?"

"Steph's with a friend for the night." He answered.

"Really?" she smiled. "Soooooo, I have you all to _myself_?"

"Yes ma'am."

Maddie pretended not to be affected by the sultry look she saw in his eyes even though she was feeling tingly…everywhere. She looked towards the stove and tried to act casual. "Okay, so what's for dinner?"

"Chicken alfredo with broccoli, salad with Italian dressing, and something special for dessert." He wiggled his eyebrows at her causing her to giggle.

Then, realization struck her and her smile softened. "That's what we had…" Her voice got quiet as she felt a wave of emotion again.

"…..The last time we spent your birthday together," Steve finished. "It was your 16th birthday and I took you out for a date to your favorite Italian restaurant."

"Chicken alfredo has always been my favorite," she whispered as she looked up at him adoringly. How could he remember her on her birthday every year? And how could he possibly still remember her favorite meal?"

"But how did you know it was _still _my favorite?"

Steve shrugged, "Lucky guess…" When Maddie gave looked at him suspiciously, he rolled his eyes. "Okay…Plus I _may_ have asked our daughter. Just so I could make sure." He put a hand on her lower back to lead her towards the table. "Come on…..It's gonna get cold."

He led her over to a table that had been set with her best dishes; Her mother's china, as a matter of fact. Maddie had never found much reason to use them….before now.

This was perfect.

Candles were lit and another bottle of wine was chilling in a carafe. Steve pulled out her seat and put a napkin on her lap as she sat down. Then, she noticed the bouquet of flowers displayed as a centerpiece and gasped again.

Blue hydrangeas and white peonies…..Her favorites.

"You even remembered my favorite _flowers_?" she squeaked.

"I remember _everything_, babe." He leaned down to kiss her.

He walked away to put food on their plates as she watched him and sighed happily to herself.

This was the best birthday ever.


	29. Chapter 29

**I thought it might be fun to add an unexpected element to this story. First, let me say that I have always been a McRollins fan (and have several McRollins' stories on here). However, after seeing episode 7.07, my imagination was peaked and I wondered what it would be like if Maddie and Stephanie would have been the ones at the house when Catherine showed up again?**

**Let me know what you think! **

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_The following weekend at the McGarrett House….._

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Five-0 had a rare day off. Steve and Maddie called for a barbeque at the house to celebrate the fact that Maddie and Stephanie were in Hawaii permanently.

It was nearing 5 o'clock and everyone had arrived except for Max who had called to say he and Sabrina were on their way.

Steak, shrimp, and veggies were on the grill which was being manned by Steve. Lou and Kamekona were standing nearby trying to give him pointers. It was advice that Steve was ignoring, of course, since he considered himself a pro at barbequing anything and everything.

Besides, everyone knew his need to be "in control" and let it go good-naturedly.

The doorbell chimed over the sounds of laughter outside.

It rang again as Stephanie made her way from the kitchen where she, Nahale and Grace were helping Maddie get some of the other food together.

"I'm coming, I'm coming….." Stephanie said as she walked into the living room wiping her hands on a towel. She opened the door to find a petite woman with long brown hair, fair skin, and dark eyes staring back at her in surprise.

"Oh…..uh…..Hi," the woman said as she offered a small smile. "Ummmm…Is _Steve_ here?"

"Yeah," Stephanie answered as she crossed her arms in front of her defensively. "Who are _you_?"

Nahale walked up behind Stephanie and was shocked to see who was at the door. "Catherine!? What are you doing here?" he asked.

_Catherine? Who is Catherine_? Stephanie suddenly felt protective and somewhat jealous although she wasn't quite sure why.

"Hi, Nahale." Catherine's smile was warm as she looked up at him. Maybe this girl was Nahale's girlfriend….so that made her feel better. There was something familiar about her, though. "Um…I'm sorry to drop in like this, but…."

Nahale interrupted her by motioning her inside, "Come on in. I'll get Steve."

Catherine stepped in awkwardly and noticed the familiar faces of the Ohana: Danny was talking to Jerry and Mamu. Kono and Adam appeared to be playing with Charlie who had grown a lot in the last year. Lou and Kame appeared to be trying to give Steve pointers at the grill. Advice he was no doubt_ ignoring_, she mused, although he was smiling at them as they did so. She watched as Nahale walked outside and spoke to Steve. Then, held her breath as Steve, Lou, and Kamekona all turned in her direction at the same time. Seeing the three men turn towards the house simultaneously, everyone else followed suit. Steve stood still for a moment as if he was unsure what to do before he absently handed his spatula to Lou, mumbled something and started walking inside.

Steve made his way through the French doors and into the living room where Stephanie was standing beside Catherine as if trying to size her up and figure out who she was. Steve rationalized that he could explain all of that later.

The first order of business was to find out why Catherine was back. Why was she here?

It had been over a year without a single word from her.

No calls…..

No emails…

Not a damn thing.

Seeing Stephanie and Steve stand right beside each other, there was no hiding the resemblance. Catherine felt her breath hitch as she looked between both of them and started to figure it out. This teenager was either a _really_ close relative OR she was Steve's…..

"Steph, give us a minute, okay honey?" Steve said as he interrupted Catherine's thoughts.

Catherine noticed an unfamiliar softness in Steve's eyes as he looked at Stephanie and felt a lump form in her throat.

Stephanie looked somewhat disappointed, but wasn't going to ignore his request. She walked back towards the kitchen with every intention of trying to listen in and find out who this lady was and what she was to Steve.

As the kitchen door closed behind her, she whispered to Maddie, "Mom! Someone is here to see Dad. Says her name is Catherine."

Maddie looked up from where she was busy chopping up veggies and accidentally cut her finger. "Damn!" she muttered as she lifted it to her mouth trying to ease the pain. Then she moved to the sink to run it under some cold water. "Did you say her name was Catherine?"

"Yeah. Who is _**she**_?!"

Stephanie had already moved back towards the door so she could crack it open a little and hopefully pick up some of the conversation going on in the living room. It wasn't long before Maddie was right beside her and listening in as well.

Maddie knew who Catherine was….and what she had meant to Steve. She didn't know all the details, but Steve had shared enough that Maddie knew how much he'd been hurt when Catherine left the last time without much of an explanation. It was enough to make her wonder if Catherine had been the one "the ring" had been intended for that she'd accidentally found in one of Steve's dresser drawers. She hadn't told Steve about her find….and also knew it wasn't information she could share with their daughter yet.

"You know it's not good to eavesdrop, right?" Maddie whispered even though she was currently trying her hardest to hear the conversation as well.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Mom. You know you're as curious as I am. And you still haven't answered my question." Her whispering was getting louder, so Maddie shushed her before Steve could hear them.

**************h50******************h50***************h50

_Meanwhile in the living room…_

"What are you doing here, Cath?"

Catherine looked around Steve and noticed everyone in the backyard watching even though they were trying not to be obvious about it. Suddenly, she felt guilty for dropping in unannounced. It had never been an issue before. She and Steve had popped in and out of each other's lives for over ten years, but now…..

Well _now_ she suddenly felt like an outsider.

"I'm sorry. I should have called first." She turned to leave and Steve caught her arm to stop her.

When she turned back towards him, he sighed and his expression softened, "No. Stay. It's just…." He glanced toward the kitchen where he knew Maddie and Stephanie were probably eavesdropping. "I wasn't expecting you. I mean…..it's been _over a year_, Catherine."

Guilt washed over her delicate features again before she turned her gaze downward. "I know. I'm really sorry."

"So where the hell have you been?" Steve knew the answer; Or at least part of the answer since he'd found out she was working as a CIA operative a few months earlier. But he still wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to see if she would tell him the truth. After all, he'd had Top Secret Security clearance, so it wasn't like she should have had to lie to him about it; He wasn't exactly an "average citizen".

"I'm working undercover now," Catherine admitted as she shifted her feet nervously, "My…uh…_assignment_….is over, so I'm back for a little while."

Steve crossed his arms in front of him in much the same manner she'd seen Stephanie do earlier. "Okay….so? What?...You decided to swing by and see if we could pick up where we left off? Just like 'old times?' "

She heard the hurt in his voice.

"Steve, I'm sorry I left the way I did. You deserved better than that."

"Just tell me one thing, Cath. When you came back for Kono's wedding…Did you know then? I mean, did you know it was _temporary?"_

Catherine hated to admit it, but she shook her head sadly, "They recruited me before I came back; While I was in Afghanistan." She took a deep breath and let it out, "I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you."

Steve couldn't hide the indignation as he shrugged and gave her a sarcastic grin, "Little late for that, dontcha think?"

Catherine looked more and more miserable with every word coming out of Steve's mouth. This obviously wasn't the conversation she'd been expecting.

Watching from the kitchen, Maddie couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Call it _Women's Solidarity_ or whatever, but she decided to go out and try to defuse some of the tension. They had a lot of family at the house at the moment so it wasn't really the time for "that" conversation. Maddie figured Steve could be mad at her for interrupting…..later. He looked so tense she feared he might spontaneously combust, and she had always been able to calm him down when they were younger. Little did she know she'd been one of the _only _people in his life who had ever been able to do so.

She looked pointedly at her daughter, "You stay in here. I'll be right back."

"_**Seriously?!**_ Why can't _**I**_ come?" Stephanie pouted.

Maddie didn't answer. Instead, she walked out of the kitchen with a smile on her face and tried to appear as friendly as possible. Steve heard her coming and resolved to try to make the introduction as pleasant as possible even though there was no way to escape the awkward situation getting ready to take place.

By this point everyone who was outside was watching unabashedly through the window.

"This should be good." Danny muttered as they all kept their eyes glued on the scene unfolding in front of them. They may not be able to hear anything, but body language could say a lot. Danny, Lou, Chin, Kono, Adam, Jerry, Kamekona, and Mamu all watched intently to see what would happen next.

Maddie walked to stand beside Steve and held out her hand towards Catherine. "Hi, I'm Maddie…..an old high school friend."

Understanding seemed to flood Catherine's expression even though she couldn't help but feel more comfortable with Maddie than she did with Steve at the moment. She returned Maddie's handshake with a soft smile, "I'm Catherine….I'm…..uh…and old…..NAVY friend."

Maddie released Catherine's hand and then reached to take Steve's hand in her own. As soon as they touched, Maddie felt some of the tension leave his body.

Standing outside, Lou whispered, "Did you see that? Looks like our Maddie can 'calm the beast' just by being beside him. Did you see how McGarrett relaxed as soon as….."

"Shhhhhh…..we saw it!" Danny protested. "Now watch…..What else is gonna happen?"

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Maddie asked. Steve's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked at her even though he kept his mouth shut.

Catherine shook her head, "Uh…..no…..That's probably not a good idea….but thank you."

"Okay, well, you're welcome to stay if you want. It was nice to meet you, Catherine." Maddie smiled again before walking back into the kitchen and giving Steve a chance to continue the conversation, if that's what he wanted to do.

Steve watched her leave and was completely awed by how much he loved that woman.

He turned back to Catherine and saw her smiling at him. "So? Maddie's a high school friend, huh?"

Steve decided to 'bite the bullet', so to speak, and answer all of the questions he knew she had. "Yes. She was my 'high school sweetheart'. I haven't seen her since my dad sent me away after mom died. Or I should say, until we _thought_ she died."

Catherine nodded slowly in understanding, "So…..You never really broke up, huh? Things just ended because you had to leave?"

"Pretty much."

"And Stephanie?" Catherine asked…..because she had to know

Steve realized she already knew the answer, but obliged her anyway. "She's my daughter," He put his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "But before you say anything else, I didn't know about any of this until a couple of months ago. Maddie and I completely lost contact when I left."

"I know," Catherine looked at him with sincerity in her eyes. "I mean, I know you well enough to know that you would've never abandoned them if you had known. You're too honorable for that."

Steve glanced back at the closed kitchen door before looking back at Catherine.

"Sooooo, I guess I need to go." Catherine turned to leave again.

"Wait! Don't you want to see everyone else?"

She shook her head, "Probably not a good idea under the circumstances. I'll try to catch up with them while I'm in town though."

"Okay, well…..Can we talk soon?" Steve asked hopefully. "Maybe tomorrow? We need to talk some things out, Cath."

"I know," Cath agreed. "Yeah, I can meet tomorrow."

They set up a time to meet the next day for lunch at Kamekona's; It was familiar and might make things a little easier for them both.

"It was good to see you, Steve." Catherine's voice sounded so sad that Steve couldn't help but pull her to him for a hug.

"You too, Cath. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Seconds later, she was out the door and Steve turned to look outside where his entire family….except Maddie and Stephanie…were staring at him.


	30. Chapter 30

Before going back outside, Steve walked towards the kitchen. Swinging the door open, he found Maddie and Stephanie both trying unsuccessfully to act nonchalant. Steve let the door close behind him as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Okay, who's first?" he asked.

Maddie tried to look innocent, but failed miserably, as she turned to look at him again. "What do you mean?"

"Come on," Steve smirked trying to keep the moment lighthearted. "I know you're both dying to ask me questions…..So who wants to go first?"

Stephanie kept her face down as she continued to cut up fruit. She was unusually quiet which was a cause of concern for Steve. He may not have known her for long, but he knew her well enough to know she was never afraid to say exactly what was on her mind.

Maddie was the one who broke the silence, "So that was Catherine?"

Steve shook his head affirmatively.

"When did she get back to Hawaii? Did you know she was here?"

Steve took a step towards her, "No, I didn't know she was here. I haven't heard from her since she left over a year ago."

"Okay….what did she want?" Maddie tried not to sound jealous or defensive, but some the jealousy reared it's ugly head anyway. Steve couldn't blame her; After all, if some guy showed up wanting to talk to Maddie, he probably wouldn't let him past the front door.

"I don't know _what_ she wanted. She said she wants to talk…..but she obviously wasn't expecting everyone to be here over here right now."

Maddie shuffled her feet unconsciously which Steve recognized as one of her "nervous" gestures. Knowing she probably wasn't going to appreciate the news, he looked at her hesitantly, "We're going to meet somewhere tomorrow."

Maddie felt her heart rate pick up. "So you're going to _meet_ with her?"

Steve sighed, "I think I owe her that much, Mad. We were together for a long time…..and she left without much of an explanation. I mean…." Steve sighed again. " I have questions that she needs to answer. Know what I mean?"

Stephanie picked that moment to look up and cast a glare in Steve's direction that could only be described as a mixture of hurt….and anger. She didn't say anything to him before storming out of the kitchen. Next thing Steve knew, she'd pushed her way through everyone outside and was running towards the beach.

He turned back towards Maddie. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm sure she's worried."

"About what?" Steve asked his face full of confusion.

Now it was Maddie's turn to sigh. She put her hands on her hips, and although she may have been trying to look fierce, he thought she looked adorable. "Seriously?" she said in frustration. "You _seriously_ don't know why having your ex show up could upset our daughter?"

When Steve shook his head and continued to look at her with a legitimately confused expression, she continued. "She is _worried_ about what's going to happen now that Catherine is back and wants to 'talk' to you."

"Why would that bother her?" Steve put his hands out, palms up, in a gesture of misunderstanding. "I honestly don't understand."

Maddie was quiet for a moment and looked at the floor. When she turned her eyes back to Steve, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Steph wants us to be a family. I want the same thing…and I thought we were _working_ towards that together. That could all change now."

Steve shook his head and grimaced in confusion, "What the hell are you talking about, Maddie? Nothing is going to change just because Catherine showed up."

A few moments of awkward silence passed as Steve tried to figure out what was going on…..and Maddie tried to figure out how to word the _obvious_ to her seemingly clueless man.

"I saw the ring, Steve." Her voice was very quiet as she said it.

Steve's face fell and showed his surprise as he realized what Maddie was saying.

"Stephanie doesn't know about it, but _I do._" Maddie continued, "So either you proposed to Catherine….or you were _going to _propose to her. Which was it?"

Steve grimaced, "That was over a year ago, Maddie. A lot has changed since then."

"Like what?"

Steve walked towards her and leaned down so he was looking her straight in the beautiful hazel eyes he'd loved for so long. "Like _you_…..and Stephanie…We're not just working _towards _being a family. We _**are **_a family. **Nothing** is going to change that. "

Maddie didn't look convinced. She turned away from Steve to look out the window where their friends were waiting and obviously wondering what the heck had just happened.

Steve turned her back around and put his hands on either side of her face forcing her to look at him again.

"_**Nothing**_ is going to change that, honey. I need for you to believe that. Okay?" Steve's voice was firm and full of conviction.

Maddie didn't trust herself to speak, so she just shook her head and offered him a weak smile.

"I think you can do better than that," Steve said as he leaned down to kiss her which brought a _genuine _smile to her face.

Maddie smiled up at him, "I love you, Steve. I don't think I could stand to lose you again."

Steve's eyes softened as he reached his thumb up to stroke her cheek, "You aren't going to lose me. I love you too, Maddie-girl, and I have no intention of ever letting you go again. Got it?"

A few minutes later, Steve walked with Maddie to the backyard where he left her to go find Stephanie.

It didn't take long for him to find her in what he was learning to be one of her favorite places to go when she needed some quiet time. He sat down beside her wordlessly and waited to see if she would say something. When he heard her sniffle and reach a hand up to reluctantly wipe away a tear, he felt his heart break. Did she really believe everything was going to change just because Catherine had shown up wanting to talk to him?

Steve put his arm around his daughter and pulled her closer to him. "Hey….." he said softly before looking at her with an encouraging expression on his face. "Wanna tell me why you're so upset?"

Stephanie shrugged, "It's _nothing_….." she said. "Just _**stupid**_."

Steve couldn't help but smile a little, "It's not 'nothing'….and it's not 'stupid' if it's bothering you this much."

When he heard her sniff again, he shifted on the sand and put his finger under her chin to tip it up so she was looking at him...much like he'd done to Maddie a few minutes earlier.

Steve's voice remained soft and unthreatening. "Talk to me, honey. I promise I can handle whatever it is you want to say." he encouraged.

Stephanie looked at her dad and saw for the first time how genuinely concerned he was about what she was feeling. Although she knew…..in theory….that he _loved _her, this time she actually allowed herself to _see_ the love in his expression. Never having a father before, she had been hesitant to believe it before.

"I don't want anything to change," she said as tears filled her eyes again. "I'm really happy now…..here…..with you. And _Mom_ is so happy. I've never seen her this happy."

Steve knew exactly what she was saying…or at least trying to say: Stephanie didn't want to lose the "family" they had created together.

Steve reached up and wiped a tear away. "I'm happy too, Steph. You have to believe me when I say _nothing _is going to change. That's exactly what I just told your Mom. We are a family now and I promise you nothing is going to change that."

"But what about _her_? You're going to talk to her, aren't you?"

Steve sighed, "It's complicated, Steph." As he looked at her, he knew he had to offer a better explanation if he was going to ease her fears. "Look…..Catherine and I were together for a long time, but it was sporadic. Ya know? I mean, one or both of us was always deployed somewhere in the world so we kept in touch as well as we could with phone calls and stuff…..and we would get together whenever we were in town at the same time…."

"So basically, she was a _booty_ call?"

Steve's eyebrow shot up at her interpretation; _Ah yes…_..**There** was the Stephanie he knew so well. He gave her a disapproving look at her choice of words, so she offered a meek apology.

"Sorry, dad."

"So to answer your question," he continued. "It was **more** than that. I mean, there was a time when I thought Catherine and I might end up together. But _**now**_ I realize it never would have been 'right'."

Steve looked at his daughter and decided to be more honest with her than perhaps he'd ever been with anyone before about what had happened with Catherine. "We understand each other as far as careers go and we shared a lot of experiences together." Steve's eyes darted towards his daughter and fixed on her gaze, "But _**now **_I see that we may've never wanted the same things in other areas of our lives. After Catherine left last year, I realized we've started moving in different directions and it wasn't meant to be."

He looked at Stephanie and smiled softly, "I may not have understood the reason then…..but _**now**_ I do_._"

Looking at her Steve, Stephanie knew without any doubt he was telling her the truth and she felt relief flood over her.

"You really mean that, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he smiled at her. "I've never lied to you, Steph…and I want you to promise me the same."

"What do you mean?"

"No matter what happens….Or what might happen in the future...just promise you won't lie to me. We'll be honest with each other. Okay? "

Stephanie looked at him with wide eyes. "I promise," she answered.

"Okay….." Steve shook his head in agreement. "Lying is one thing I can't stand. It's better to just be honest, no matter what.

Stephanie smiled and Steve saw once again how much she looked like him…..or at least like the "McGarrett" side of the family.

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Stephanie and Steve made their way back to the house where they found the "Ohana Party" in full swing.

Stephanie made her way over to talk to Grace and Maddie made her way to Steve's side.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Steve put his arm around her and smiled, "Everything is fine." He gave her a quick wink before turning to everyone else.

"Is it time to eat?"

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Steve, Maddie and Stephanie settled into a comfortable schedule together. It was the first time since Steve had been a kid that things felt "normal". It struck him as ironic that he'd never considered himself lonely until Maddie came back in his life. Now he couldn't fathom how he could ever make it without her…or their daughter….ever again. Coming home to his girls every night was the best possible feeling in the world.

Although Maddie had opened her parent's house back up when she and Stephanie relocated to Hawaii, they rarely spent time there. They spent most days after school and every evening at Steve's house instead. Maddie would make dinner and Steve and Stephanie would clean-up. Stephanie had her own room fixed up just like she wanted and Steve's house felt more like "Greathome" for all of them.

Stephanie enrolled in the same school that Grace attended and the girls become fast friends. Stephanie was a few months older but they were in the same grade, so Gracie introduced Stephanie to her friends. It made the transition to a new school much easier.

Maddie was fortunate to find a job at the school as well. If Steve didn't know better, he would've thought it all too big of a coincidence; Things just fell in place too easily, he thought. Whenever he would comment about it, though, Maddie would just smile and say, "It's not a coincidence…It's a blessing. We found each other again so this is 'our time'."

It sounded good. **Great**, in fact, but Steve knew that no matter how good things appeared, it could all change in an instant. He tried to just enjoy the calm and not think about it too much. For the moment, he had never been happier.

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**As we know with Five-0, things never stay peaceful for very long. I have another chapter almost finished already so it will be posted within the next couple of days. Let me know what you think. **


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